Despite rocketing off to a great start with an Anth Carr try from their first attack we fell foul of the Referee’s whistle - penalty after penalty gave struggling Sheffield the confidence to come back and go into the break with a 13-7 lead.
We had to reshuffle through injuries and absences with Paul Williamson coming in at scrum half, for skipper Davy Tighe, and Andrew Hare coming in for winger Chris Lambert who was ill.

The omens were good from the kick off with the West pack driving the home eight backwards at a rate of knots . The maul was pulled down and Paul Moss opted for the line-out in the corner from which Anth Carr peeled off to dive over. Moss got the first of four excellent conversions.

But any hopes that we would go on to seal the game in the first quarter were in vain. Sheffield bundled their way back into the game with a penalty from fly half Will Moroney on 10 minutes.

Both West’s Phil Henderson and home hooker Steve Salvin were sent to the sin-bin on 25 minutes after a scuffle. Sheffield maintained pressure, and got within one point with another Moroney penalty after West were penalised for going in at the side.
West went down to 13 men on the half hour when England under 18 Aaron Myers was sin-binned for persistent offside.

The visiting defence was on the back foot but kept Sheffield out until the last minute of the half when centre Ryan Amos broke through from ten metres to score under the posts.

West began the second half in the same way we had started the game. This time it was winger Andrew Hare who got the score in the corner. He received the ball almost standing still but still had he skill to sidestep two defenders with Paul Moss adding a superb conversion from the touchline.

The score came after Sheffield hooker Salvin was given his second yellow for persistently coming in at the side.

The Referee’s whistle continued to be the dominant factor in the game, to the frustration of both sets of supporters, and Sheffield regained the lead three minutes later with penalty in front of the posts after Jonny Boatman was judged to have handled to the ball in a ruck.

West replaced Phil Henderson in the second row with Paul Rudd who was returning form injury and he had a hand in the thirds try. After a spell of pressure on the home line Paul Williamson fed Jonny Boatman with an excellent pass to send him in between two defedders to set Moss up with an easy conversion.

West were now in control but 14 man Sheffield lost prop Dave Anderson to injury and with their hooker already sent off there was no alternative but to continue with uncontested scrums – a distinct advantage to the team with only seven men in the pack.

But we were in no mood to let their Yorkshire hoodoo resurface and it was the skipper who sealed the points. Davies picked up a loose ball 30 metres out and surprised the covering home defence with his speed as he raced away from the cover to make it 16-28.

There was more controversy on 73 minutes when Aaron Myers received his second yellow for persistent offside.


Sheffield: Tom King, Adam Mills, Ryan Amos, Nick King, David Bolton, Will Moroney, Matt Poste, Dave Anderson [Gary Thursfield 62], Steve Salvin, Tommy Marples, Andy Kelly, Dave Ellis, Martin Balshaw [Jason Poe 45], Robert Atkinson, Nick Pearson [Liam Salvin 58].
West: Martin Todd, Gavin Painter, Greg Edwards, Peter Hodgson, Andrew Hare, Paul Moss, Paul Williamson, Anth Carr, Brett Cullinane, Jon Norris, Andrew Davies, Phil Henderson [Paul Rudd 55], Dan Boatman, Aaron Myers, Jon Boatman.
.Reps not used. Phil Wallis, Cal Robinson.