Harrogate Pythons welcomed league favourites Dinnington to The Jim Saynor Ground for the first time. Despite winning the second half 14-13 Dinnington’s first half lead was too much with the score finishing at 14-37. Both sides were evenly matched as the early stages of the game progressed. The ball was kept alive with telling runs from Harry Smith and Rhys Cory in the midfield. An offside at the breakdown and Dinnington find touch on The Pythons 5m line. A catch and drive moves towards the corner, the referee deems the home side to have collapsed the maul and awards a penalty try and a home yellow card, 0-7 on 5 mins. Dinnington come hard from the kick off and set phases up in the shadow of the home posts. Some great work at the breakdown by Will Milnes and returning Jack McGowan gives Smith chance to clear the lines. Taking advantage of the extra man Dinnington pressure the home line once again. Despite determined tackling from George Booth and Hugh Tatlow the ball is spun wide with the away backs taking advantage of the overlap to score next to the posts, 0-14 on 10 mins. Milnes and returning Harry Brayshaw carry play to the away 10m forcing Dinnington to concede a line out. Marcus Fotherby, making his 150th appearance, gains clean line out ball an Natsuki Barclay begins a play with the ball coming to Smith working the blind side. Breaking tackles and using his pace Dinnington’s desperate defence manage to bundle Smith into touch 2m out. Dinnington clear their lines once again. Dinnington score in the corner and kick a penalty. With The Pythons camped on the Dinnington 5m line the ref blows for half time, 0-24
Dinnington open the 2nd half with a rare drop goal grazing the upright, 0-27. Milnes takes clean line out ball and McGowan uses his strength to gain ground in mid field taking the ball close to the away 22m line. The ball is striped in the ruck and a clearance is attempted. Tatlow charges the ball down and the pressure in back on Dinnington. Jordan Payne scoops the ball up and along with Booth charges for the line. Halted metres short Milnes joins the fray picks the ball up to drive over for the score, Ben Pryor adds the extras, 7-27. Eddie Wilkinson takes the restart just outside his own 22. He feeds Tatlow who begins his run by breaking through the Dinnington defence. Crossing the half way line at pace he continues to break tackles and step defenders to score next to the posts, a 70m effort. Pryor adds the 2, 14-27. Keen to keep the ball away from the home side’s runners Dinnington begin to kick for territory. Forced back into his own 22, a home defender was deemed to have stepped into touch by the linesman. A catch and drive, Dinnington scramble over in the corner, 14-32. Dinnington score once again in the corner and are quick to kick the ball dead once the referee called last play, final score 14-37.
After the game DoR Tom Baxter said, “We were ground down in the first half defending for the majority of it. Although defending well with good physicality, it’s hard to keep repeating efforts without any ball in hand. All credit to Dinnington, they took their chances well and kept us pinned down in our half without the ball. Throughout the game we showed elements of strong attacking intent with Harry Smith at the reins from 10 trying to get us going and a long range effort from Hugh Tatlow, but we failed to capitalise on the momentum shift and allowed Dinnington back into the game. It’s important we stay tight now as a group and we hit the ground running this week as we prepare for a similar challenge away at Goole. It was also great to see the return of Olly Ward and Harry Brayshaw who have been out with injury for length spells and we look forward to seeing what they can now add to the group.” The Whittaker’s Distillery man of the match was awarded by Club President Mike Ruthen to George Booth for his outstanding defensive effort. The Pythons stand at 9th in the league of 12, 7 games left to play. With 3 or possibly 4 teams to be relegated the men from The JSG will need to target specific games for the maximum reward.
