Billingham 40 – 25 Cleckheaton

Cleckheaton put in a late rally to rescue some pride and claim a bonus point away at Billingham but by then the game was lost and the Moorenders found themselves back in the relegation zone of National 3 North.

It was well known that Billingham have a playing style based on expansive rugby and may run the ball from anywhere on the field given the space. Cleckheaton, who were briefed before the game to keep it tight and not kick the ball to the opposition back three, quickly found out the wisdom of this advice. A box kick from the back of a Cleckheaton ruck, 10 minutes in, was collected on Billingham's right by winger Radwan, the ball was sprayed across the field via Billingham captain, Pete Evans, to the opposite wing, where Hopley chipped ahead and won the race to the ball before collecting and sprinting in for his team’s first try. Evans converted. Billingham were on the attack again 5 minutes later and again quickly spread the ball across field, stretching Cleckheaton’s sliding defence to breaking point as Radwan went in to make the score 12-0. Cleckheaton kept themselves in it though after good work from the forwards, with Tom Austin eager to run the ball in at every opportunity. The pack took play to 5m out and a long pass from Jack Bickerdike found Mark Barlow well outside his marker on the left touchline for an unconverted try. The score was tightened further to 12-8 when Ronan Evans added a penalty goal but Billingham extended their advantage courtesy of Pete Evans, who ghosted through the defence for the homeside’s 3rd try, which he also converted. The teams changed ends with Billingham holding a 19-8 lead.

Pete Evans continued where he left off not long into the second half, leaving Cleckheaton’s defenders grasping at thin air as good footwork and pace took him through the defensive line. He rounded the full back for Billingham’s bonus point try and he also added the extras. Any chance of Cleckheaton getting back into the game was laid to rest when Bickerdike was controversially yellow carded and the referee awarded the home team a penalty try for a tackle he deemed to be reckless at the time. The offending action, which amounted to sliding in to kick a ball into touch turned out to be within the rules and the referee apologised in the bar after the game. With Cleckheaton a man down, Billingham centre Joe Evans went in for a try under the sticks, with brother Pete adding the extras to stretch the lead to 40-8. Trailing by so many, some thought that Cleckheaton might capitulate but instead they put in a very determined last 15 minutes. Playing to their strengths the forwards bashed their way up field, retaining possession well and driving Billingham backwards with several phases of play. Three times they won a penalty that gave them a line out within 10m of Billingham’s whitewash. On the first two occasions the pack, with the added assistance of one or two of Cleckheaton’s backs, pushed Billigham over their line, Richard Piper touching both down. The same player then got his hat-trick and ground out a potentially important bonus point for Cleckheaton, diving over from a short pass in the eightieth minute. Ronan Evans converted one of the three scores for a final tally of 40-25 to Billingham.

Cleckheaton were undone by the speed of Billingham’s back line with 4 of the home team’s 6 tries starting in their own half. The Moorenders did show however, that they can get the better of anybody in the tight and the three tries they scored in the last 10 minutes gave back confidence, which they can take into this weekend’s important game against Ilkley. Cleckheaton lost in the reverse fixture back in October but were lack lustre on the day and gifted Ilkely too much cheap possession through needless kicks. Huddersfield YMCA and Birkenhead Park, the two sides immediately above Cleckheaton in the table, both have difficult fixtures and a good tactical performance from Cleckheaton could turn over Ilkley and see the Moorenders lifted once more from the relegation zone.