BackSat 28 Feb 2026 · Counties 1 Yorkshire
Wath Upon Dearne
1xv
28
7
Clinical Wath Punish Goole Despite Brave Second-Half Fightback
Goole RUFC6 Mar - 13:37
Hosts capitalise on key moments to secure a 28–7 victory as Goole battle through penalties and yellow cards.
Round three of Goole’s meetings with Wath this season proved to be another fiercely contested encounter, with the final scoreline of 28–7 failing to reflect the competitive nature of the game. The key difference between the sides lay in Wath’s ruthless ability to turn visits to Goole’s 22 into points, while the home side were repeatedly frustrated despite spells of pressure. A series of yellow cards also made the task even tougher for Goole, but in typical fashion they continued to battle until the final whistle.
With Craig Hutton coming into the second row for the injured Eddie Newsum and Brandon Harmon drafted in late on the wing, Goole fielded a significantly changed side from the one beaten by Wath in the recent cup fixture. Sam Smith was also absent, with Luke Cooper moving to full-back and Matty Lill returning to his familiar role in the centres.
Whether those changes contributed to a slow start is hard to say, but Wath dominated the early exchanges. Goole conceded the first of several penalties inside the opening minutes, allowing Wath to kick to the corner and once again demonstrate their effective five-metre catch-and-drive to take a 7–0 lead after just two minutes.
The restart went straight into the hands of Wath’s powerful No.8, immediately putting Goole back under pressure. A succession of penalties followed and, after Wood was shown a yellow card, Wath made their advantage count with a second try to extend the lead to 14–0.
Despite the difficult start, Goole responded with great determination. For the next half hour they matched the physical Wath side and enjoyed their own attacking opportunities. Penalty chances at goal were turned down in favour of attacking the line, but Wath’s defence held firm, with Chantry notably being held up over the try line.
Wath looked to press again after Goole received a second yellow card, but the home defence stood strong, highlighted by a superb try-saving tackle from Luke Cooper. However, just as the half drew to a close, Goole suffered a major setback. With the final play before the break, Wath’s winger broke from inside his own half and, after some weak tackling, ran in under the posts for a converted try to give the visitors a 21–0 half-time lead.
Despite that late blow, Goole were far more competitive in the second half. The return of Raymond Coates at hooker, after a lengthy injury absence, added energy to the forward pack and Goole began to dominate both possession and territory.
With sustained pressure deep in the Wath half, it seemed only a matter of time before Goole would get on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, Wath’s defence proved resolute and Goole were again unable to convert promising “red-zone” opportunities into points. In hindsight, taking penalty shots at goal may have been a more rewarding option during this period of dominance.
As the weather worsened and rain fell steadily throughout the half, handling became increasingly difficult and errors crept into both sides’ play. The contest turned into a hard-fought grind, with another powerful Goole driving maul once again held up over the Wath line.
It was a frustratingly familiar pattern that led to Wath’s fourth and bonus-point try. Another Goole infringement allowed the visitors to kick to the corner and, from the resulting line-out, Wath drove over for a converted score to make it 28–0.
To their credit, Goole’s determination never faded. Their efforts were finally rewarded with the last play of the match when Coates crashed over from close range to mark his return to first-team rugby with a well-deserved try. The conversion followed to bring the final score to 28–7.
While the result means another defeat for Goole, the squad can take pride in the commitment and effort shown in recent matches. Unfortunately, effort alone does not always bring reward, and a high penalty count combined with a lack of fortune has made positive results difficult to achieve.
With regular fixtures scheduled for the remainder of the season, Goole will be hoping their hard work soon translates into wins. They will look to get back on track when they welcome Harrogate Pythons this Saturday, with kick-off at 3:00pm.
With Craig Hutton coming into the second row for the injured Eddie Newsum and Brandon Harmon drafted in late on the wing, Goole fielded a significantly changed side from the one beaten by Wath in the recent cup fixture. Sam Smith was also absent, with Luke Cooper moving to full-back and Matty Lill returning to his familiar role in the centres.
Whether those changes contributed to a slow start is hard to say, but Wath dominated the early exchanges. Goole conceded the first of several penalties inside the opening minutes, allowing Wath to kick to the corner and once again demonstrate their effective five-metre catch-and-drive to take a 7–0 lead after just two minutes.
The restart went straight into the hands of Wath’s powerful No.8, immediately putting Goole back under pressure. A succession of penalties followed and, after Wood was shown a yellow card, Wath made their advantage count with a second try to extend the lead to 14–0.
Despite the difficult start, Goole responded with great determination. For the next half hour they matched the physical Wath side and enjoyed their own attacking opportunities. Penalty chances at goal were turned down in favour of attacking the line, but Wath’s defence held firm, with Chantry notably being held up over the try line.
Wath looked to press again after Goole received a second yellow card, but the home defence stood strong, highlighted by a superb try-saving tackle from Luke Cooper. However, just as the half drew to a close, Goole suffered a major setback. With the final play before the break, Wath’s winger broke from inside his own half and, after some weak tackling, ran in under the posts for a converted try to give the visitors a 21–0 half-time lead.
Despite that late blow, Goole were far more competitive in the second half. The return of Raymond Coates at hooker, after a lengthy injury absence, added energy to the forward pack and Goole began to dominate both possession and territory.
With sustained pressure deep in the Wath half, it seemed only a matter of time before Goole would get on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, Wath’s defence proved resolute and Goole were again unable to convert promising “red-zone” opportunities into points. In hindsight, taking penalty shots at goal may have been a more rewarding option during this period of dominance.
As the weather worsened and rain fell steadily throughout the half, handling became increasingly difficult and errors crept into both sides’ play. The contest turned into a hard-fought grind, with another powerful Goole driving maul once again held up over the Wath line.
It was a frustratingly familiar pattern that led to Wath’s fourth and bonus-point try. Another Goole infringement allowed the visitors to kick to the corner and, from the resulting line-out, Wath drove over for a converted score to make it 28–0.
To their credit, Goole’s determination never faded. Their efforts were finally rewarded with the last play of the match when Coates crashed over from close range to mark his return to first-team rugby with a well-deserved try. The conversion followed to bring the final score to 28–7.
While the result means another defeat for Goole, the squad can take pride in the commitment and effort shown in recent matches. Unfortunately, effort alone does not always bring reward, and a high penalty count combined with a lack of fortune has made positive results difficult to achieve.
With regular fixtures scheduled for the remainder of the season, Goole will be hoping their hard work soon translates into wins. They will look to get back on track when they welcome Harrogate Pythons this Saturday, with kick-off at 3:00pm.
Further reading
Team Sponsors
