Harrogate Pythons welcomed recently relegated Goole to The Jim Saynor Ground for their first meeting of the season. The Pythons created first half chances but Goole held firm with The Pythons taking the game 28-21.The Pythons showed intent straight from the kick off with Peter Millward gaining 20m with his characteristic strong running. Goole give away a penalty and Max Sharp drills the ball into the Goole 22. Clean line out ball from Will Milnes and Harry Butler charges through the mid field. Freddie Abrahams feeds Jack Whiting who threads a delicate kick through the defence to dive on the ball to score. The referee decided there was a knock on – scrum to Goole. The home side is quickly back on the offensive, Goole give a penalty away Ben Pryor kicks the gaol 3-0. Goole showed their Regional 2 experience – a line out on the home 5m, a well drilled catch and drive 3-7 on 5 mins. Some hard running from Rhys Cory and George Booth both saw Abrahams controlling the phases in the shadow of Goole’s posts. Millward, Hugh Tatlow and Milnes were all held close to the line. A knock on gives Goole the chance to clear their lines. Clean line out ball from Millward and Whiting gets his backs moving winning a penalty on the away’s 22. Pryor steps up, 6-7. An injury forces The Pythons to re arrange their line up with Natsuki Barclay coming on at scrum half and Abrahams moving to the wing.Tom Roberts finds space and is dragged down 2m from the Goole line. Jack MacGowan follows up and is held, winning a penalty. Jack Whiting is quickest to react tapping to himself and diving over for the score, 11-7. Pryor adds another penalty, 14-7 but Goole tie the score on half time with another catch and drive 14-14.
Goole come hard at the start of the half but are held back with some savage tackling from Butler, Millward and Sam Rowntree. The Pythons have a scrum on half way following an injury stoppage for a Goole player. They win a scrum penalty and Sharp kicks into the 22. Some great driving play takes the ball 2m from the Goole line, Joel Misseldine spots a gap and powers over to score, 21-14. With 10 minutes left Goole tie the score again, 21-21. Both sides need to show determined defence during the phases both use over the next 7 minutes. Butler picks from a ruck in his own 22 and carries the ball to the 10m line. With some great support from his players, the ball is recycled to McGowan breaking two tackles, Rowntree continues the play and slips the ball to Tatlow who carries 30m, pulled down in the Goole 22. His support, at this late stage of the game, is around him and Barclay feeds Whiting feeding Misseldine who then passes back inside to Cory to dive over for the score, 28-21. Full time.
After the game Coach John Liley said,” We returned to winning ways in the league with a determined, disciplined and clinical performance against a very strong Goole outfit. We dug in deep when it mattered and also capitalised on the majority of our scoring opportunities that we created. Something that has been missing in previous weeks. We also remained patient when Goole were applying pressure on us that shows we have grown in confidence over the recent weeks. We showed on Saturday what we are capable of producing on the field. It was a complete team performance and we also know we can get better too. This was the perfect performance leading into the next three games against the opposition above us in the league.”
The Whittaker’s Gin man of the match was awarded by Charlie Paines to a deserving Peter Millward.
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