Goole Win After the Flood

It was quite fitting that the recent ITV Drama “After the Flood” was partly filmed in Glossop as we needed numerous committed members to spend Friday clearing the pitch of standing water after our own flood on land on and surrounding Westfield Banks. Thankfully the game went ahead as we welcomed the Glossop Committee, members and players for their first ever visit to Goole giving us the opportunity to repay the wonderful hospitality that we received on our trip to Glossop back in November when we won 3 - 24 in similar wet and difficult conditions.
With Glossop adrift at the bottom of the league and with a reported weakened side, Goole were clear favourites and that is how the game panned out with Goole scoring eight tries to run out comfortable winners 50 – 7 with numerous additional try scoring opportunities being squandered. No major changes to the Goole line-up with yet another first team debutant, prop Adam Wileman on the bench as Glossop kicked off. No real action of note in the early exchanges until Goole’s backs showed their quality sweeping the ball from one touch line to the other at pace with Walker being tackled close to the try line. Several plays later and with Glossop unable to withstand the resulting pressure, Tom Holt went over from close range to open the scoring 7 – 0. Despite the lively start and clearly looking the better side, Goole were not playing particularly well and puzzlingly kicking possession away when they had the ball. With no real rhythm to the game, it took until the 21st minute for Goole to add to their early score when Moore strolled through a wide gap following a Goole dominated scrum to touch down 12 – 0.
Glossop came back strongly and spent some time in the Goole half, turning down a penalty in front of the posts to kick for an unproductive lineout near the Goole line as the game continued to be very scrappy. With Glossop coming away from the spell of play in the Goole half without any points, it took a freak sequence of events for Goole to score again after Danny Holt had gathered in his own half and chased his own kick. A perfect bounce into his lap after the ball was missed by the defender should have resulted in a straightforward try with a pass to a supporting player in open ground. The pass however went low to the debutant Wileman who swung a boot at the ball in mid-stride to send it forward and into the Glossop in-goal area where Billy Walker chased and touched down to give Goole a 17 – 0 half time lead.
Goole started the second half with a renewed focus with Chantry stealing a wild Glossop line out throw to charge to the try line for Goole’s bonus point fourth try converted by Moore 24 – 0. Thankfully the aimless kicking stopped as Goole now ran the ball taking on the Glossop defenders in all areas of the pitch, so it was no surprise that another try followed when debutant Wileman squeezed over in the corner after a tough physical contest on the Glossop try line, 29 – 0. A sixth try quickly followed from the kick off following a customary strong carry by Jack Smith who put Matty Lill in for an unopposed try under the posts 36 – 0 and things looking ominous for the hard working and committed Glossop defenders. To their credit, and despite losing key players throughout the game Glossop came back to get on the scoreboard after being awarded a penalty during a rare visit into the Goole half. A quick tap penalty near to the Goole line by one of their heavyweight forwards caught the home side defenders sleeping and resulted in him crashing through the disorganised defence to score a try under the posts, 36 – 7 with the game now in the final quarter. That was as good as it gets for Glossop as Goole ran in two more late tries. The first from Malcolmson after a lovely midfield dummy opened up a gap for him, and finally Jack Smith who picked up at the back of the scrum going forward to touch down with the successful last kick of the game conversion by Moore bringing the final score to 50 – 7.
To summarise this was a comfortable win for Goole despite being out of sorts in a variety of aspects of the game especially in the first half with significant improvements after the break, no doubt following harsh words from the coaches at halftime. The line out was somewhat hit and miss, and Goole certainly could have scored an additional 20+ points from a variety of try scoring opportunities that were squandered throughout the game. The one major frustrating wasted opportunity coming from a scrum near the Glossop line and the Goole forwards going forward at a steady pace. With Goole scrum push-over tries being as rare as hens’ teeth in recent seasons, it would have been great to get one, but in this unfamiliar situation they managed to cock it up.
With Goole facing some tough games in the closing weeks of the league, it is essential that Goole tighten up some of the weaker aspects of the performance today. The frequent kicking away of possession in the first half being one good example that the supporters found very frustrating, especially when we know the quality of the backs that we have. Malton and North will be the challenge next week in the what will be a very tight competitive fixture.