Narrow Defeat

Wath 2nds 7 Scunthorpe 2nds 15

Wath welcomed Scunthorpe this weekend hoping to put up a better display than when they played earlier in the season, when they lost 41-5. On that day Scunthorpe were very good helped greatly by playing their 1st team full back who was having his ‘last game’ before heading home to the southern hemisphere (it was again a non league weekend)
Wath fielded their usual mix of youth and experience, 17 year old Jack Witham starting at 10. From the start Scunthorpe attacked well and their forwards were very good over the ball at the break down. They put pressure on the Wath 22 for the first 20 minutes. They scored a try through the backs from a well cleared out ruck wich was converted. 5 minutes later a well worked move from a 10m lineout sent their 5 through a gap in the forwards and over the line. 12-0. Wath then seemed to wake up and the forwards started to put some good driving mauls together, however too many times control was lost or ball spilled. The set piece scrum was its usual dominant self. The Scunthorpe 8 put in an excellent display of picking up the ball from a retreating pack and the 9 was under continuous pressure on his own ball. The lineout was not as solid, as Wath were restricted to having only one true jumper, Joey Minshull who again put in a good performance. Wath had a good break when Brad Taylor showed a clean pair of heels to 3 defenders but just put a toe in foot 15m. from the line. Honest touch judging from manager Graham Jones. Just before half time Scunthorpe got a penalty on halfway and tried for the points but missed. Halftime 12-0
For second half Wath changed the 10 to 18 year old Corey Cox. The team started well and put on good pressure and started to play more in the Scunthorpe half. There was excellent defence with notable tackles from Andy Linton and Danny Lord who gets better week by week. Wath then suffered an injury to their blind side Matt Myers and last years Flyhalf Adam West moved to 8, which he now says is his preferred position. Wath forwards pressure lead to a well taken try from Linton near the posts converted by Cox. Scunthorpe started well from kick off and forced a penalty in front of posts skipper Jim West was pushed away from ball by scunny 5, he pushed him back and got 10 minutes rest for his reaction. The kick was taken 15-7.
From then on the pressure was on Scunthorpe, a scrum 15 m. out was lost though as the temporary scrum half/centre/no.8/10/15 West mistimed the put in and it was well hooked by opposition, relieving their lines. With 5 minutes to go a long kick through bounced awkwardly in front of the posts and retreating winger Brad volleyed the ball over the dead ball area safely. From the ensuing 5m scrum the Wath scrum dominated and won the ball back and the lines were cleared.
No doubt that Scunthorpe are a very good team and deserve to be top of league, but without that fullback they were not the same team. Wath played well, but need to start at the whistle not when 2 tries down. It was difficult to pick a MoM from a solid team performance but Jim West just got it for superb and dogged defence.
Team; Gaz Goddard, Matt Driver, Steve West, Ben Myers, Jonty Morrisey, Jason Cotton, Tony Kenney, Matt Myers, Joey Minshull, Ethan Dyson, Jim West, Jack Witham, Cory Cox, Andy Linton, Danny Lord, Brad Taylor, Jordan Fleming, Luke Pendlebury, Adam West,

Written by Bob West