Eleven Tries In Quality Encounter

After a well-attended pre-match Christmas Lunch the spectators of both teams were treated to an eleven try feast of entertaining rugby served up by two very capable teams with Goole winning the try contest with seven tries to the visitor’s four. The 37 – 20 victory being slightly harsh on a highly competitive Old Crossleyans team.
Just one change from the team that won at Morley last week with Will Devenish in the unfamiliar position of wing in place of the injured Josh Malcolmson, and Raymond Coates returning on the bench after his departure in the recent Selby game. In excellent conditions Goole started the game confidently and were assisted by a yellow card for the visitors in the first few minutes that gave them an early attacking platform, and an opening try by Danny Holt. The ball moving at pace along the whole back line for Holt to step inside the last defender to score, 5 – 0. From the restart, Goole conceded a couple of penalties that allowed the visitors to press into the home team 22 but were met with high quality tackling that we have come to expect from this team. From a breakdown in the Goole 22 Jack Smith gained possession and charged some 70m downfield only to be halted short of the Crossleyan’s try line. Recycled ball to the supporting players and continued pressure saw Connor Walker go over from close range for a second unconverted try and a 10 – 0 lead after 15 mins.
Whilst it was always going to be a challenge for Goole to maintain the high tempo start that they had to the game, things seemed to go a little flat with uncharacteristic errors creeping into play generally. Couple that with a determined effort by the visitors allowing them to bounce back from the early setbacks and score in the 22 min from a catch and drive near the Goole line. The initial thrust being repelled but a following surge saw one of their heavyweight ball carriers drive over from close range for an unconverted try. 10 – 5. Goole lost Will Devenish with a knee injury and on came Coates in the back row, with the lively Ashton Neal moving to wing as play restarted in mid field with Goole looking a little disjointed for a spell. Despite the changes, it was Goole that scored again, this time following a nice break at a mid-field breakdown by Rhys Moore who passed to the supporting Ollie Rayner to run in and score from 30m out despite that attempted tackles by a string of Crossleyan defenders. 15 – 5 after 27 mins. Not to be downhearted, back came the visitors to score their second try just 4 mins later as they took advantage of the reshuffled Goole back line for their off half to send a long diagonal kick into the left-hand corner of the pitch. The chase for the ball was won by the Crocs winger who was awarded the somewhat dubious try by the referee who must have seen a fingernail touching the ball down before it went dead. If VAR had been in place there would have been countless replays from every angle but no complaints with the referee giving the benefit of doubt to the attacking side. 15 – 10. Back came Goole following another yellow card for Crocs with the backs again showing their accomplished handling for Danny Holt to go over out wide for another unconverted try 20 – 10. This was quickly followed by Goole’s 5th try by Man of the Match, Danny Holt to complete his hat-trick much to delight of the Danny Holt Fan Club members watching. The hard work on this occasion being done by Matty Lill and James Chantry. Yet another missed conversion bringing the half time score to 25 – 10.
If the home team supporters thought that it was game over, they were wrong as the visitors came back with a vengeance finding gaps in the previously tight Goole defensive line to score two more tries to bring the score to 25 – 20 after 13 mins with no successful conversions so far. The first try being a re-run of the first half deep diagonal kick to the corner and try for the winger, and the second a repeat catch and drive try from a lineout. With the home team supporters subdued, and the Goole looking somewhat out-of-sorts, the bookies would most likely have had Crossleyans down as the team to go on and win the game as they looked threatening in possession from all areas of the pitch. Once again this was a challenge that the Goole team met head on as they bounced back to retain possession and push the visitors deep into their own 22 and as a result another score was not long in coming. This one came from yet another powerful run and offload by Jack Smith to the supporting Matty Lill who ran round under the posts for the one and only successful conversion of the afternoon added by Tom Holt. 32 – 20.
Back came Crossleyans who continued to find gaps in the Goole defensive line to run into open space from deep with Goole scrambling defence working hard to recover. The visitors pressed hard and looked likely to score under the Goole posts but for an outstanding tackle and ball steal by Connor Walker to win the penalty allowing Goole to clear. For most of the time remaining, Goole’s most effective defensive tactic was to keep possession as they looked to seal the game. That could have been done with a successful penalty from 30m out by off-half Tom Holt but he hit the post with the rebound well recovered by Chantry to allow Goole to maintain pressure on the visitors. Their pressure was rewarded with a 7th try after finally sweeping the ball wide, in first half fashion, for Danny Holt to put Billy Walker over for the last score of the half. The unconverted try bringing the final score to 37 – 20 with just one successful kick from the twelve in the game, but never mind. This was a game of tries, and there were some crackers as the Goole squad look forward to a well-deserved break from their outstanding start to the season.