Distracted Boro beaten by Brods
‘ The use of prop Wesley Langkilde as a battering ram was not a success’
Scarborough followed an outstandingly focused cup effort against Blackburn with a distracted, introspective performance against an Old Brodleians’ side definitely up for it at a somewhat hungover Silver Royd.
Scarborough hardly had time to settle to their task before they were behind in this game. A terrific burst town their right flank by Brods number eight Rob Jennings saw the ball moved inside and was knocked on.
The home side’s front row was penalised at the resulting scrum and the ball was moved inside from the tap-penalty to centre Pete Williams, who powered over for the opening try with only four minutes on the clock.
Fly-half Danny Woods missed with his conversion attempt but Brods led 5-0.
The Seasiders struggled from the re-start and found it difficult to lay a hand on the elusive visiting backline.
However, good work from the home back row with Eamon Chapman and Haydon Ogilvie heavily involved saw Scarborough drive into Brods’ territory before clean ball won in the visitors’ 22 was moved right to left and slick handling by fly-half Tom Harrison and skipper Tom Ratcliffe saw fullback Graeme Jeffrey drive over in the 11th minute to level matters up at 5-5.
Harrison missed the conversion.
Brods were reduced to 14 men when they lost a player sin-binned in the 20th minute, but the Seasiders took no lessons from their try which was achieved through slick and pacy backplay and looked to batter their way over from close range.
They never really had the coordination to execute this plan and with their backs unemployed behind them, failed to produce a score before Harrison nudged his side ahead with a penalty on the stroke of half-time to lead 8-5 at the break.
Harnessing the stiff northerly breeze, Brods took the ga me t o Scarborough a nd camped in their half for the early first half exchanges.
However, although the Seasiders struggled to cross the gain-line, flying Kiwi winger Harry Domett went looking for the ball and was always a menace to the visitors when he was on the charge.
Scarborough continued to play through the forwards driving at the visitors’ line from close range and the use of prop Wesley Langkilde as a battering ram was not a success.
Old Brodleians always looked the more interested side and looked the team more likely to penetrate but came up against some great defensive work by Chapman, Ogilvie and Joe Marshall, who came looking for work from his lonely patrol on the wing.
Unsurprisingly Wood levelled the scores at 8-8 with a penalty on the hour.
And they continued to press before Williams burrowed over from short range five minutes later to nudge them 13-8 ahead.
The West-Yorkshiremen always looked the more likely side to score next and so it proved as a break through the middle saw Australian second row Sterling Ross batter his way to the line and stretch the lead to 18-8 in the 73rd minute.
Wood added the extras for 20-8.
Scarborough came back strongly in the late exchanges and terrific work from the influential Domett, centre Billy Parker and young back row