Beverley Bandits 22 - 22 BP

Well done the Big Boys on Saturday. The visitors came here on Saturday unbeaten in the league and looked absolutely awesome in the warm up. The game kicked off in fine conditions and within a minute the visitors recorded the first score of the game after a well worked move in the backs with the suspiciously looking Skirlaugh rugby league centre chipping over the defence to score a fine try. The Bandits were shocked by this early setback and didn't recover fully and allowed B.P to score another easy try which was converted to make the score 12-0 in as many minutes. A unusually depleted Bandits side, missing several regulars, managed to fashion out a response with Lee Gallagher crashing over for a fine try after a good passage of play involving his centre partner Duncan Rann and Rich Charman`s quick thinking penalty tap. The conversion was missed due to a sudden unexpected hurricane which lasted for a couple of minutes. The Bandits were still lethargic in their play and allowed B.P too much of the ball from turnovers and indiscipline which led to a further try from another suspiciously looking Skirlaugh rugby league centre (what`s up didn`t they have a game of their own then) 17-5. Half time came none too soon for the Bandits, Kev Dean was pulled off and John (Wolverine) Meagher complained cos he only got an orange. Asbo (despite the rumours had stayed here in blighty, and the rest of us wished he'd gone) was reminded by his skipper that "For F***s sake Asbo"! is not a line out call and is in fact encouragement to do better with his throwing in. B.P extended their lead when awarded a penalty they chose to kick for goal and confounded us all by neatly disguising their attempt at goal to in fact kick the ball at the fullback(Harold Shipman) who was distracted by some passing elderly people who he felt were in need of his assistance and so distracted him from gathering the ball on his own line and allowed the opposition to touchdown to make the score 22-5. The Bandits had another one of those discussions under the posts about what time are you going out? and what will you be wearing? so that we don`t clash with Tufty, when someone came up with the brilliant idea of if we keep the ball and don`t let the opposition have it then we may stand a chance. This plan worked and with some defence splitting runs by the Last Resort fly-half, backed up by new boy Martin Hall the Bandits were soon back on the offensive andwere able to cross the line with Mark (Boycey) Hughes crashing over. Another sudden Hurricane dispelled any chance of a conversion. 22-10. The Bandits then unleashed what can only be described as "Shock and Awe" on an unwitting B.P defence and soon ran in another try with what seemed an unnatural occurence of a third Hurricane to thwart the conversion. Dave (spock) Hardy was up to his usual spoiling tactics and it was from such play that he set the platform for the move of the match, Fly-half Keith Graham, ghosted through the defence to send Phil(Tony soprano) crashing over for another score. With the last kick of the game the fly-half unnervingly converted from what seemed an impossible distance to level the scores. 22-22.