The slope undoubtedly played a major role in the game of two halves at Belmangate. The home side had the advantage in the first - putting in a tremendous effort as they looked for their first win after promotion from Durham and Northumberland One.
Their cause was helped by West’s inability to hold onto the ball in the first 40 minutes. On a misty day there was dampness in the air, but only one side was dropping the ball as West looked to get an early lead.
It took until the 25th minutes for the first score of the afternoon, and it came when West used their supremacy in the scrum to turn down a straightforward penalty kick for the posts. Number 8 Jay Corbett picking up as the scrum pushed the hosts back to feed skipper Ryan Painter on the short side whose long pass sent Max Tennant in for his first try of the afternoon. The conversion was close to the touchline, but Matt Siddle made no mistake.
If that was the cue for West to settle down, and keep hold of the ball, Guisborough hadn’t read the script as they forced West into sustained defence.
There was a let off for the visitors when Guisborough knocked on with the line at their mercy, but patient play eventually let a big gap for winger Tom Pajak to go through set up an easy conversion.
It was 7-7 at the break with no clear indication of which side may eventually triumph. West’s ambitions looked to have been dealt a blow with try-scorer Tennant feeling unwell and off the pitch, with Ben Reed coming on at full back and Sam Knight moving to the wing. Isaac Robinson was already off with an injury, which left him unable to return after treatment, and he was followed by Adam Hutchinson with Jack Angus coming on.
While the West defence was sorting itself out Guisborough took advantage with a fine try up the left wing.
It came from a cross kick from Zac Southern which was meant to find Knight out on the right wing. Instead, full back Phil Shields was the first to the ball and was able to race clear and as Reed put in a covering tackle he was able to send in Pajak foir his second. The missed conversion giving Guisborough a five-point lead and the scent of their first win of the season.
For no obvious reason , and in a contest which did not see any yellow cards, it was a game where there were a lot of injuries for both sides and players coming on and off accordingly.
Jay Corbett left the field for West with Charlie Kay coming on to enjoy a lively 35 minutes, while Max Tennant was able to return for what was to prove to be a match-winning cameo performance.
However, the injury which had the biggest impact was to Guisborough Number 8 Ben Buckworth, back at the club after a number of seasons at Sheffield Tigers. He’d been a major influence on the game until he was forced to leave the field while his side was still in the lead.
From then on the West pack’s dominance grew as they camped in the home 22. Patient build up, together with a newfound ability to hold onto the ball, eventually told as play was quickly moved across the 22. Southern delaying a pass to give Tennant the opportunity for his second of the afternoon. Once again Siddle’s kick from out wide adding the extras.
That slender two-point lead was extended to a nine-point advantage just before the hour mark courtesy of Alex Barker who had moved to Number Eight in Corbett’s absence. West forcing a scrum penalty in the Guisborough 22 and taking the option of another scrum which led to Barker gliding over.
Siddle was noticeably suffering a back injury with Southern taking over the kicking duties and taking the score to 21-12.
Five minutes later the same combination effectively sealed the game for West. This time Barker was able to go through a gap from 10 metres (above).
The pressure had taken its toll on the home forwards, and with two props injured the game went to uncontested scrums and Guisborough down to 14 men accordingly.
Despite losing that scrum advantage it became one-way traffic down the hill with Tennant able to take his haul to four tries. His final try was an excellent run from the half-way line to take the score to 40-12 – a margin which had looked very unlikely at half-time.
To rub salt in the home wounds Jay Corbett returned to show a clean pair of heels as he collected from a maul on the Guisborough 22 – Southern’s conversion ending the scoring.
The treatment rooms will be a busy place for both clubs. Very best wishes to Guisborough replacement prop Charlie Jones who was stretchered out of the ground with a leg injury he suffered in the second half
Next up for West is Ladies Day and the visit of Upper Eden before a week’s break from league action, which may well be just what the physio ordered.
Guisborough: Phil Shields, Tom Pajak, Conner Fox, Alex Ruff, Isaac Fisher, Jack Robinson, Tom Oatway, Oli Taggart, Conner McFarland, Mike Henderson, Matt Flint (capt), Luke Berry, Max Wood, Archie Turner, Ben Buckworth.
Reps (all used): Andy Evetts, Charlie Jones, Alfie Barber.
Tries: Pajak (2).
Con: Robinson.
West: Sam Knight, Jacob Wood, Matt Siddle, Peter Youll, Max Tennant, Zac Southern, Ryan Painter (capt), Andrew Rollins, Aidan Jackson-Smith, Adam Hutchinson, Will Corbett, Jake Linighan, Alex Barker, Isaac Robinson, Jay Corbett.
Reps (all used); Jack Angus, Charlie Kay, Ben Reed.
Tries: Tennant (4), Barker (2), J. Corbett.
Cons: Siddle (2), Southern (4)