THEY OVERHAUL 19-P0INT DEFICIT TO STUN RIVALS AND STAY SECOND

Watts was unable to convert but with only 10 minutes on the clock Driffield led 19-0. The YM finally got their act together and their hands on the ball and started to apply forward pressure to the defence. On 17 minutes, from a scrum on the visitors’ line the ball was worked out wide only for full-back Sam Fletcher to be tackled short of the line. Driffield gave away a penalty at the ruck and quick-thinking scrum half Joah Bradley took a quick tap and touched down wide out. Stead was unable to add the conversion but YM were back in the game at 5-19. From the restart, centre Gavin Stead made break up the middle before handing on to the supporting Nathen Chappell who hacked the ball down field before collecting and passing back to Stead who, when tackled just short, passed to the supporting wing Kyle Tetley who scored under the posts. Stead added the extras for 12-19. YM were now in the ascendency but it was nearing half time before they were able to press home their advantage with second row Ed Black making the break before passing to wing forward Mark Davidson who crashed over under the posts. Stead added the conversion to leave the teams level at half-time 19-19.

Driffield started the game like a house on fire

Driffield started the second half with renewed purpose and stretched the YM defence both left and right but unlike the first half the YM defence held up and it was the YM who went in front with a Stead penalty from fully 45 metres on 57 minutes.

With the visitors’ pack visibly tiring, the home team upped the tempo and it was a piece of individual skill from Chappell that produced the important fourth try which ensured a YM bonus point.

From a scrum on half way, Chappell burst through the Driffield defence and chipped the onrushing full-back to win the race to the ball and dive over under the posts. Stead added the conversion for 29-19.

With Driffield fading badly, the YM added three further trys. First, stand-off Bull made the initial break before putting Stead over under the posts, Stead converting his own try, 36-19. There followed a penalty try as the home eight shunted the visitors’ pack back over their own line only for the visitors to collapse the scrum for 43-19.

Then with time almost up the YM took a scrum against the head on half way, Davidson made the break before handing on to the supporting Bradley who scampered over to score, Stead once again adding the extras – 50-19.

However, Driffield had the last word as they threw caution to the wind and proceeded to run the ball from their own 22 for wing forward Alex Cullen to score a well-deserved consolation try, and a bonus point, in the corner. Watts was unable to convert to leave the final score YM 50-24 Driffield.

Fletcher, Tetley, Chappell, Stead, Burns-Smith, Bull, Bradley, Slater, Hill, Dyke, Black, Housley, Perfitt, Davidson, Hodge. Subs (all used) Barrett, Burrnett C, Garden