Yorkshire Silver Trophy Semi-Final
OLD OTLIENSIANS 26 pts vs WATH-UPON-DEARNE 10
pts
see more photos here!
Otliensians produced one of their best
displays of the season to comprehensively our play Wath from Yorkshire
Division 3, and progress to the Final of the Yorkshire Silver Trophy for the
first time in nearly 30 years.
The game began brightly with Otliensians attacking from the start, moving
smoothly through phases and creating space on the left for Hayward to be
held up in the corner. The subsequent scrum was set, and with the home front
row of Percy, Hanogue and Myers dominant, the Wath pack were pushed off the
ball for No 8 Duggan to pick up, drive through two defenders to score on the
left, with Foster adding the extras, the first crucial 5 minutes belonged to
Otliensians. From the restart Otliensians again made hard yards, and open
side flanker Tom O'Donnell collected the ball and charged 50 metres down
field with a trail of defenders in his wake, he was eventually pulled down,
but the ever present Hanogue gathered the ball and sent Matt Tenniswood
racing to the left for a second excellent touchdown, Foster hit the post
with the difficult conversion, but the die was cast with the visitors
looking a little perplexed, maybe becuase they might have underestimated the
talent at Otliensians disposal.
Wath came back, with their big centre and blindside flanker hitting the ball
up the middle and around the fringes, but the well organised defence held
firm, with only one breach which was eventually subdued some 15 metres from
the posts. Bonner, Smith and Markus Keinhorst were providing the yards, with
Duggan, Hanogue and O'Donnell maintaining the continuity, for Birch and
Kristian Keinhorst to be able to press the home side forward, via strategic
kicking and well constructed back moves with Foster and ratahi taking the
lead.
Otlienesians comfortably came through the middle phase, and in the 33rd
minute produced a text book rolling maul, hanogue came off the back, feed
Tenniswwod in to space who released winger Jon Woods who proceeded to
mesmerise the defence with some dazzling foot work to score by the posts,
for Foster to goal and Otliensians arrived at half time with a healthy 19-0
lead.
The second half started with pressure from Otliensians, and following
another great break from Markus Keinhorst, the visitors were penalised but
Foster was just short, another break out from the 22 saw a similar outcome
after 52 minutes, and it was then that the hard working and determined Wath
side had their own purple patch, putting together some excellent phases and
pressuring the home defence all over the park. After an hour a clever kick
to the corner saw the Wath attacker win the race for the touchdown in the
left corner, and this was followed 5 minutes later by a charge down from an
Otliensians defensive line leading to their second try, which closed the
deficit to 19-10 and all the prospects of a thrilling finish.
However these set backs brought the very best out of the Otliensians
players, and the reposte was immediate, with a line out on the left, leading
to excellent hands from virtually the whole team, Hanogue drawing the last
man for skipper Smith to romp in for the decisive score, Foster once again
converting for the 26-10 lead. Although this was to be the final result, the
last 10 minutes confirmed Otliensians superiority with the pack driving the
Wath eight off every scrum, and the final act a great crossfield kick from
Kristian Keinhorst which was caught on the left by Hayward who was stopped
just short, completing an inventive and complete display by all the squad.
The Final is provisionally scheduled for Sunday 20 May, with Hessle the
formidable opponents.
Report supplied by the coach, Gary Walker. |