Should the game have been 5 minutes longer The Pythons would have claimed their second victory in as many games. A lack lustre first half was the culprit, 29-25 to Rishworth.
Early penalties halted The Pythons progress in the first few minutes. A kick ahead by the home side bounces favourably for their first try, 7-0. The Pythons worked their way back into the game with the usual ball carriers Harry Butler, George Booth and Hugh Tatlow making the home side defend well. Once again a kick ahead bounced favourably for the home side to score their second try, 12-0 after 20 minutes.
A charge down by Tatlow gives The Pythons possession in the Rish 22. Mikey Adams works well with Max Sharp opening space for Jack Whiting but the final pass was deemed forward. Rish move ahead from the resulting scrum but Harry Jackson nails the home centre and wins a penalty. Adams through the sticks, 15-3 on 25 mins. Indiscipline at the breakdown and Rish kick another penalty,18-3. The Pythons come back again through the midfield with Rhys Cory and debutant Arron Woods leading the way. Rish cave under the pressure, Adams kicks the penalty, 18-6.
Adams clears from the kick off causing the Rish winger to knock on, scrum Pythons. Woods bulldozes through the middle earning a penalty at the breakdown. Sharp kicks to with 20m. Debutant Joel Misseldine finds Marcus Fotherby in the line out. The Pythons begin their drive. Butler is stopped agonisingly short and the ref brings play back for a penalty. The Pythons opt to scrum but a penalty gives the home side chance to clear. Touch is missed, Whiting gathers the ball and returns at pace only to be felled by a high tackle, penalty Pythons, yellow card Rish. Half time.
Pythons begin the second half well. Winning a scrum on the home side’s 10m line, Adams breaks along the blind side feeding Woods who stabs the ball forward. Rish concede a pen, Sharp find touch and Fotherby takes clean ball at the line out. Butler is held up short and Adams whips the ball to Tatlow on the touchline to crash over for the try. Adams with the extras 18-13.
Rish kick 2 more penalties, 24-13. Connor Spence steals the ball in the tackle in mid field, feeds Harry Brayshaw who rounds the defending winger and puts in a grubber kick. A knock on by the chasing pack gives Rish a scrum on their 5m line. A mistake by the home 10 awards The Pythons a scrum on the 5m line. Tatlow picks and is held up under the posts. Natsuki Barclay finds Sharp who feeds Brayshaw to deliver a perfect pass for Tom Roberts to score in the corner, 24-18.
Rish use the width of the field to beat The Pythons defence in the corner, 29-18 on 75mins. Pythons win a penalty on half way. Adams kicks to 5m. Fotherby takes clean ball from the accurate Misseldine again. Butler drives through but is held up just short. Booth strips the ball and crashes over, Adams with the extras 29-25. The Pythons push hard for the remaining 3 minutes but just fail get that vital last score.
After the game Coach John Liley said,” Complacency and making unforced errors were the reasons for Pythons not recording their 2nd win of the season. Old Rishworthians frustrated us with their simple approach to the game. The positives that we take from the defeat is that we were still in with a chance of winning the game at the end. With greater clarity and discipline with our finishing we may have been looking at a different result. We also showed the correct attitude on never giving up and that we continued to push for the victory. In the end we just gave ourselves too much to do. All the opposition scores came from our own mistakes so if we cut those out then we will be finishing games victorious.”
The Pythons have no fixture this coming Saturday and play Baildon away on the 27th October in the first round of The Yorkshire Shield.
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