Amateur RL: Underbank's finest hour!

Jul 21 2009 by Chris Roberts, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Drake added the conversion and did so again four minutes later as further Buffaloes’ pressure resulted in winger Shaun Flynn racing over in the corner after receiving a superb long pass from the impressive Drake.

Bramley’s first-half comeback was completed when Flynn rose highest to a deft Drake cross field kick to complete his brace of tries, and the sides went to the sheds at half-time at 16-16 at the end of a pulsating opening 40 minutes.

Bramley continued their domination at the start of the second period as they scored twice in the opening seven minutes.

First, hooker Graham Harrison scooted over from acting half-back after Andy McGann had gone close to scoring himself, and then after continued pressure from the Buffaloes, Flynn completed his hat trick of tries when he was first to react to a bouncing kick from Drake.

Crucially, Drake missed the extras to Flynn’s try, but Bramley held a commanding 10-point lead.

However, Underbank have not risen to second place in the table without demonstrating a doggedness in their game, and they hauled themselves back into the contest when powerful man-of-the-match Tom Senior raced on to a superb Chris Thorley offload to cross the stripe under the black dot.

Barrett converted, and after Bramley had conceded three consecutive penalties, the ball was worked to the left for Aka to squeeze over in the corner to leave the scores level at 26-26.

Bramley then re-took the lead with seven minutes remaining as Underbank were penalised for stealing the ball in the tackle, and Drake coolly slotted over the penalty.

But they couldn’t prevent the irrepressible Rangers from snatching victory in dramatic fashion with the matchwinning score from Aka to jubilant celebrations both on the pitch and in the large crowd.

Huddersfield: Worthington; Flooks, St Hilaire, Mitchell, Aka; Thorley, Barrett; Valentine, Boothroyd, Vinaka, Keegan, Senior, Hawkyard. Subs (all used): Bellas, Lofthouse, O’Brien, Housley