SCARBOROUGH LOSE AT BRADFORD
League leaders net victory
Scarborough travelled to league leaders Bradford and Bingley looking to improve on their indifferent performance at home to Old Brodleians in their last outing.
It was always going to be a tall order for the young Scarborough side against a Bees side who boasted a 100% record going into the game.
Scarborough were quick out of the blocks and in the opening play Tom Harrison danced past a couple of challenges before spilling the ball forward in the tackle.
The visitors kept the pressure on and with less than two minutes played, Paul White burst into the Bees 22, he off-loaded to Ant Coffey, who made easy work of the last defender to give Scarborough the perfect start.
Harrison had no problem with the conversion to make it 7-0.
The hosts didn’t have time to regroup as straight from the restart they conceded a penalty.
Harrison’s pin-point kick meant Scarborough were straight back in the home twenty two.
Mikey Readman secured the line-out and the ball was worked quickly along the line to the dangerous Coffey, who drew his man before looping a long pass out to Matty Young to score in the corner.
Harrison made light work of a difficult kick and Scarborough led 14-0.
Bradford and Bingley were shell-shocked and despite a rally cry from their skipper they had no answer to the pace, tenacity and intensity of the Scarborough side.
It was no surprise when Wesley Langkilde extended the lead after 10 minutes.
Readman was again dominant in the line out and Langkilde powered over the line from close range despite the attention of three defenders.
Harrison’s kick had the accuracy but not quite the legs falling just short, but with only 12 minutes on the clock Scarborough led 19-0.
In previous games Scarborough have taken their foot off the gas rather than pressing home the advantage and this proved to be the case once again.
Instead of increasing the tempo and intensity they relaxed and allowed the hosts back into the game.
From a scrum on half way the home side went down the blindside and winger Richard Scully won the race to his own chip to score in the corner.
Gerhard Nortier wasn’t able to convert from wide on the touchline.
You could see the confidence come back into the home side’s game and they started to turn the screw.
The Bradford & Bingley pack were starting to get the upper hand and a great drive allowed Ryan Wederell to score and further reduce the arrears.
Nortier made no mistake from in front of the posts and it was game on at 19-12.
Scarborough tried to respond and from a quick break, Jordi Wakeham fed Langkilde but his offload failed to reach Young for what would have been a certain try.
However the referee brought play back awarding Scarborough a penalty. Harrison calmly extended the lead to 22-12.
Having been so dominant, Scarborough were now becoming ragged and we’re starting to miss far too many tackles and they received a huge let off as the hosts knocked on with the try line in sight.
The reprieve was short lived as more missed tackles allowed Nortier to score, leaving himself an easy conversion