Scoreline Flatters to Deceive
The first time in 6 games saw a dry but cold start to what was billed as a titanic battle of 2 in-form teams.
Keighley Under 9’s v Wharfedale Under 9’s at Wharfedale
13th December 2009
Match 1
Starting Team
Jack Rodborne
Harry Gould
James Field
Tom Richardson
Will Halliday
Zac Scott
Keir Welch
Aaron Wilson
Lennon Curr
Kian Saunders
Subs: - Harvey Bird - Joseph Myers - Adam Pedley - Joss McArthur - Alex Wormersley
Match Report – GAME 1
Headline
Scoreline Flatters to Deceive
The first time in 6 games saw a dry but cold start to what was billed as a titanic battle of 2 in-form teams.
Both teams started brightly with some swift interpassing and good clean ball particularly from the Wharfedale side. However Keighley won the first scrum of the day and proceeded to camp in the Wharfedale half with Jack Rodborne making a great run only to be forced into touch on 10 yards. A knock-on from Harry Gould allowed Wharfedale to clear their lines from the resulting scrum and a sequence of cross-field passes saw Louis Verity race ¾ the length of the field to score a breakaway try, much against the run of play.
Wharfedale 1 (5) – Keighley 0 (0) – 4 minutes played.
From the restart, Keighley again pressed forward signalling their intent with some great driving, putting the Wharfedale back line under extreme pressure.
From the 3rd Keighley line-out in as many minutes, the ball was fed to Gould who again powered through only to step into touch on 15 yards.
Keighley pressed on and continued to push the Wharfedale defence back but they simply could find now way through despite their weight advantage. For the next 6 minutes it was nip and tuck with both teams playing some exceptionally competitive rugby.
On 11 minutes, Industrious work from Zac Scott and Tom Richardson on the Keighley right, left the Wharfedale forwards trailing but from a scrum resulting from off side, Keir Welch dummied his opposite scrumhalf, laid off to Lennon Curr who fed Will Halliday to run, cross-field to score in the right corner.
Wharfedale 1 (5) – Keighley 1 (5) – 12 minutes played.
From the restart, Wharfedale had quick ball on their right flank but a super tackle by Aaron Wilson forced the ball and his opposite number into touch on the ½ way line. The Keighley lineout exposed a lack of concentration from Keighley and some wayward handling allowed Wharfedale to score their second breakaway try with Verity going over unchallenged in the left corner.
Wharfedale 2 (10) – Keighley 1 (5) – 14 minutes played.
The restart again showed how well Keighley can move the ball with Curr laying off to James Field on the right but despite his best efforts he was forced into touch on 15 yards.
Half Time – Wharfedale 2 (10) – Keighley 1 (5)
The second half started where the first half ended with some super play from both teams, but despite some changes at half time the Keighley boys appeared to be unable to break through the resilient Wharfedale defence.
On 5 minutes from a Wharfedale line-out on the Keighley right, a quick cross field ball exposed Keighley’s lack of ultimate back row speed and again Wharfedale capitalised to run in their 3rd try of the game.
Wharfedale 3(15) – Keighley 1 (5) – 20 minutes played.
From this point Keighley appeared to lose both concentration and focus but didn’t lack determination with Halliday making a series of try stopping tackles. The introduction of debutant Alex Wormersley gave Keighley heart but they appeared to be powerless to counter the speed of the Wharfedale players on breakaway ball.
Keighley broke quickly from their 10 yard line from a well earned scrum when Curr and Kian Saunders combined to scythe through the Wharfedale defence but the home defence stayed solid and when play broke down the loose ball was capitalised on by Wharfedale who once again showed clean heels to the chasing Keighley backs to score.
Wharfedale 4 (20) – Keighley 1 (5) – 23 minutes played.
For almost the first time in the match, Wharfedale pressed Keighley to their line but great teamwork from the Keighley forwards with both Joseph Myers and Harvey Bird making saving tackles they withstood the Wharfedale onslaught.
Again Halliday was outstanding in defence supported by Field and Joss McArthur but a dropped ball straight from a Keighley line-out gave Wharfedale to chance to score their 5th try in the right corner.
Wharfedale 5 (25) – Keighley 1 (5) – 26 minutes played.
Keighley didn’t stop trying but couldn’t cope with the quick ball and rapid attacking of the Wharfedale boys who ran in 2 almost identical tries in the last 2 minutes to win the game by 7 Tries (35 Points) to 1 Try (5 Points)
Final Score – Wharfedale 7 Tries (35 Points) – Keighley 1 Try (5 Points)
Scorer – Will Halliday
“We undoubtedly played some of our best rugby of the season today in the first half against a very capable team” said Coach Nigel Curr. “However while we had the size and power, we didn’t have the speed and were caught on the break by some very quick Wharfedale players. It was very pleasing to see that the work we have done in training on securing the ball at the ruck over the last couple of weeks paid off.” added Coach Steve Welch. “To the boys’ credit, they didn’t give up or lose heart, but we were beaten by the better team although the score-line certainly didn’t reflect the pressure and possession we had in the game”.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Match 2
Starting Team
Harvey Bird
Joseph Myers
Joss McArthur
Will Halliday
Alex Wormersley
Zac Scott
Keir Welch
Aaron Wilson
Kian Saunders
Subs: - Jack Rodborne - Harry Gould - James Field - Adam Pedley - Lennon Curr
Match Report – GAME 2
Headline
Honours Even on the Day
It was Game 1 first half all over again. Despite making 5 changes to start Game 2, Keighley put the Wharfedale team to the sword straight from the start but it was apparent that this would be a more open game.
Keighley made their size count as they surged forward to drive towards the Wharfedale line and Will Halliday took advantage of a loose ball to scurry home on the left after only 2 minutes.
Wharfedale 0 (0) – Keighley 1 (5) – 2 minutes played.
Both teams then settled into their stride with play being won and lost in midfield and most possession being lost to good defence rather than given away.
Keighley pressure paid off and from a line-out on the Wharfedale 10 yard line, Harvey Bird drew 3 players into tackle and laid off to Alex Wormersley who strolled over in the left corner to score his first try for the club.
Wharfedale 0 (0) – Keighley 2 (10) – 5 minutes played.
Keighley pressed again straight from the restart and pushed play to the flanks when a hard drive from 10 yards freed Aaron Wilson to touch down under severe pressure from the Wharfedale defence.
Wharfedale 0 (0) – Keighley 3 (15) – 7 minutes played.
From the restart, both teams then played some solid rugby but Keighley always appeared to be in charge and while Wharfedale were resolute in defence, they weren’t able to break free from the Keighley pressure.
Keighley kept up their onward momentum and solid resistance from the forwards with swift interpassing across the pitch almost paid dividends when Joseph Myers outpaced the Wharfedale defence only to succumb to a last ditch Wharfedale tackle on 5 yards.
Keighley overturned the resulting line-out and a successions of cross-field passes left Halliday free to power over in the right corner for his second of the game.
Wharfedale 0 (0) – Keighley 4 (20) – 13 minutes played.
Half Time - Wharfedale 0 (0) – Keighley 4 (20)
With changes made at half time, the original Game 1 forward lines was recalled en-bloc and while Wharfedale started with most purpose, for a few minutes Keighley were unable to break down the resilient home defence.
After 19 minutes Harry Gould stole the ball from a Wharfedale back and made for the line 20 yards away, only to put a foot into touch on 10 yards – the resulting try disallowed.
Keighley kept up the pressure and shut down all forward attempts by Wharfedale but from a Keighley line-out on 22 minutes Gould showed his true potential by powering away from a chasing Wharfedale defence to touch down on the right bye-line.
Wharfedale 0 (0) – Keighley 5 (25) – 22 minutes played.
Straight from the restart, the ever eager Halliday dispossessed a Wharfedale forward with another super tackle and set James Field free on the right. Field was stopped on 10 yards by some sterling defence by Wharfedale but he managed to set Zac Scott free top make a diagonal run, off loading to Lennon Curr who scurried over in the left corner to score Keighley’s 6th of the game.
Wharfedale 0 (0) – Keighley 6 (30) – 23 minutes played.
Keighley were very slow to react to the restart and Wharfedale proved that the game was not over until the final whistle when their fly-half outpaced a static Keighley defence to score in the left corner.
Wharfedale 1 (5) – Keighley 6 (30) – 24 minutes played.
The wakeup call worked and again Keighley responded by forcing errors out of the Wharfedale players. From a line-out on the Keighley left Gould again displayed his power by taking control and striding over for his second of the game.
Wharfedale 1 (5) – Keighley 7 (35) – 26 minutes played.
Again Keighley didn’t have it all their own way and they were caught ball-watching when play broke down in the centre of the pitch and the Wharfedale fly-half again showed his pace despite the best efforts of Tom Richardson and Jack Rodborne to stop him, scoring again in the Keighley right corner.
Wharfedale 2 (10) – Keighley 7 (35) – 27 minutes played.
The power and size of the Keighley boys was now telling and the last 3 minutes saw some incessant pressure ably soaked up by the Wharfedale defence and Keighley despite moving the ball well with some enterprising play by Keir Welch and Kian Saunders from the scrum could not capitalise on their possession until with the final play of the game Gould once more made his power tell from a well contested line-out to touch down in the corner.
Final Score
Wharfedale 2 Tries (10 Points) – Keighley 8 Tries (40 Points)
Scorers
Will Halliday – 2, Alex Wormersley – 1, Aaron Wilson – 1, Harry Gould – 3, Lennon Curr – 1.
“All in all a good pair of games which we will learn a lot from” said Coach Steve Welch. “To come back and play the way we did in the second game shows that we can fight and all of the team worked together to get the result. Our new players are settling in and our squad is strong in most areas now” he added.