Hard fought win

On Saturday Wath upon Dearne RUFC 1st XV welcomed Pontefract RUFC to Moor Road, both these two sides were relegated from Yorkshire One least season and the visitors had got off to a great start winning both of their league games as well as their Yorkshire Shield game.
Wath started really well, Joey Minshull and Ethan Dyson earned a turn off from the kick off and worked their way upfield. A 5 metre line out gave Wath a great opportunity and they duly took it, prop Ben Myers was forced over the line.
Pontefract hit back immediately, in a mirror image of Wath’s score they scored from their own maul from a driving line out 5-7.
The visitors continued to push on their driving maul was proving difficult to stop from one defensive maul their stand off sent a superbly weighted cross field kick to the onrushing winger who sprinted unopposed under the sticks 5-14.
Wath needed to up their game, and in the last 10 minutes of the half they began up the tempo, they worked their way into the opposition 22, recycled the ball well before openside Ethan Dyson received a pass out wide, he juggled with the ball but was able to hold on and dot down in the corner.
The Wath back row were playing superbly as a unit allowing quick ball for scrum half Jim West, Wath continued to play at a good pace and before the half was over Wath snatched the lead. As Wath pressed hard Pontefract conceded a few penalties, from one such penalty the line out option was chosen and the Wath pack surged over the line with Joe Earp scoring. 15-14.
There was still time for another score and following another spell of possession Number 8 Matt Burrows used his strength to break a tackle and score 20-14 at half time.
Into the second half, Pontefract came out firing, inside the opening few minutes they worked their way towards the line from a maul and Wath were unable to stop them 20-19.
However from here, with the help of an increasingly dominant scrum Wath began to grind the opposition down. Wath set up camp inside the Ponte 22 and following four penalties at the scrum the referee lost his patience and awarded Wath the penalty try 27-19.
Replacement back row Martin Balshaw made a strong impact from the bench, he burst through the defensive line on half way and charged into the visitors 22. Once again Wath chose the scrum option from the ensuing penalty and Earp dove on the ball over the line 34-19.
Ponte were not about to give up though, their 10 broke through the defence and raced under the sticks 34-26.
Wath held out for the remainder of the match and earned a very hard fought but much deserved 34-26 win.