No joy for YMCA on their own track

HUDDERSFIELD YMCA suffered a home setback in North I East.

While they are safe in mid-table, the Laund Hill side found themselves in a battle with Morpeth and were beaten 18-13.

YMCA face a tough end to the campaign.

Their task next week is an away meeting with table-toppers Pocklington, and they end their season at home to second placed West Hartlepool on April 22.

Old Rishworthians needed a victory from one of their last three games to gain promotion to Yorkshire one, but found it hard to eke out a 29-22 home win against a strong Wetherby side.

It was the toughest challenge they had faced for many weeks and with a number of forwards missing found it hard to contain a much heavier Wetherby pack, who scored two pushover tries.

In the last five minutes, however, the Rishworthian pack held out under extreme pressure to win promotion with two matches remaining.

Rishworthians attacked from the start, but a long kick upfield was brought back by centre Taniela Bakoso and after several phases he finished the move he started with a try.

The visitors failed to gather from a kick and scrum half Ed Cockroft put in another good kick, the bounce favouring left wing Anthony Shoesmith, who ran in to score. Josh Kelly converted.

Wetherby’s much bigger pack then took over and eventually gained a converted pushover try.

A penalty to the visitors made it 12 – 10 but Kelly increased the lead with a penalty before the visitors hit back and sloppy tackling gave them a converted try for a 17-15 half-time lead.

From the restart a Wetherby kick was blocked and Bakoso, put Shoesmith in for his 27th try of the season. Kelly converted.

A series of determined attacks ended with Cockroft diving over. Kelly converted.

In the last quarter the Wetherby pack took charge and gained a pushover try. It was consolidated pressure from the visitors, but for the first time Rishworthians’ scrum held firm and determined tackling held out the visitors.