Amateur RU: Outstanding show earns YMCA stunning win

Mar 31 2009 by David Lockwood, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Outstanding show earns stunning win

YMCA have obviously saved their best until very nearly the last, as they blazed to a stunning 34-0 victory over mid-table Knottingley at Laund Hill.

In their penultimate home game of what has been a pretty disappointing season, YM ran Knottingley ragged and showed just what they are capable of when they string it all together for a full 80 minutes.

It looked ominous for YM in the opening stages as Knottingley’s heavy pack looked like taking over, but YM’s defence held tight, and with outstanding performances from Alex Whittaker, Tom Torrance and debutant Sam Hodge the visitors’ big men were repeatedly flung back.

The match remained scoreless for 30 minutes, but YM suddenly burst clear when scrum half Josh Marshall cleverly slipped his marker at the base of the ruck, created a hint of space and then passed to Stuart Morton who held on long enough to draw the cover, before the final pass to Adam Ryder who outpaced his opposite number to cross in the right corner.

The Laund Hill side had two more chances in the dying moments of the half, but were denied by some tenacious Knottingley defence.

However, the second half started in the same vein, and five minutes after the re-start they were over again, this time the move being started by second rower Kevin Hellawell who found himself wide out on the left flank.

He drew the covering tackler before off-loading to wing Chris Beever, who put in a well-judged grubber kick and then won the race to touch down near the posts.