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OLD OTLIENSIANS 11 WEST PARK LEEDS 17

In this 4th Round Junior Vase tie, West Park Leeds ran out close winners in an evenly contested match that could have been won by either side, but it is West Park who continue to fly the local flag, and we wish them well on their continued journey to Twickenham.

The game started with West Park in the ascendency, with their powerful front five dominating the scrums and their well drilled back line showing their creative nous, sending numerous dummy runners in to the home defence as they handled with aplomb and scored an excellent try after only 3 minutes. West Park continued to press but on 9 minutes Nicky Keinhorst intercepted in the home 22, and after interplay with his brother Jimmy, and a chip to the corner by Birch a penalty was awarded and converted by Jimmy Keinhorst to reduce the arrears to 5-3.

West Park attacked again immediately and constructed another fine try after 14 mins to increase their lead to 10-3, and the pressure was maintained until the 17th minute when a turnover was engineered close to the Otliensians line, the ball was transferred efficiently to Tinknell who outpaced the cover over 90 metres to score wide on the right and bring the home side back in to the game at 10-8. West Park were still dominant in the scrum, but Otliensians were coming more in to the game with Arbuckle, Hanogue, Howells & Paley competing fiercely in the loose and Tom Woods winning lineout ball the home backs were also causing consternation in the West Park ranks. Then another of the many contentious decisions meted out to both sides was to prove to give West Park the half time edge, as they were awarded a penalty on 32 minutes about 20 metres out, they swung the ball to the right and made good ground, swung it back to the left for more gain, then back to the stand off who fired the drop goal attempt wide, only to be called back after more than 60 seconds for the original penalty. West Park kicked to the left hand corner, executed the catch and drive perfectly and with the conversion lead 17 - 8.

the half was not however over as Otliensians applied considerable pressure to the West Park line and were left wondering how a penalty try was not awarded after a series of infringements within the 5 metre area, but it was West Park who had shown the more inventive play and went in ahead.

Within 2 minutes of the restart Jimmy Keinhorst had struck a penalty to again reduce the arrears to 17-11, and it was Jimmy Keinhorst and Hammonds who bundled the flying winger in to the right hand corner, that was the only real threat of the half from West Park as the home side used the elements to dominate, as the visitors had in the first. on 53 minutes Jimmy Keinhorst took the high ball on the left and started a mazy run out of defence, Ratahi and Tinknell took the ball on, and both were stopped just short on the right after another excellent bout of hands, the West Park defence this time was commendable.

There were then two further decisions that on another day would have gone Otliensians way, firstly after a series of close range attacks on the right in the 5 metre zone, West Park were penalised 5 times consecutively, the second row been pulled out and sin binned, but no penalty try, secondly, Tom Woods dotted the ball down for "the try", inexplicably this was ruled out and a scrum given, West Park again clearing.

In the final analysis the away team outscored the home side by 3 tries to 1, and clearly had the more inventive backs, who showed great touches throughout the game, however it was also another match that was there for the taking but again got away.
 

appleyr@bigfoot.com