Cleckheaton 14 - 16 Westoe

Following their 80 point destruction of Darlington the previous week, one could not help but have a certain amount of trepidation when Westoe arrived at Moorend on Saturday. Cleckheaton on the other hand had lost to bottom club West Park and have struggled to find consistency throughout the season. In the cold light of day the form book was almost turned on it's head. Not only did Cleck push their visitors all the way, they also had chances to win the game.

Both Ross Hayden and Sam Rasch for Westoe were off target with early penalties and it wasn't until the16th minute that the first score was posted. Following a series of poor clearance kicks Westoe launched an attack which ended with strong running centre John Fitzpatrick going over for a try, which Sam Rasch converted.

Both defences were strong but the home side were building momentum which was enhanced when Westoe back row Pearson was given a yellow card for killing the ball. A series of scrums in the Westoe 22 came to nothing but on 35 minutes a strong set piece resulted in No 8 Edu Hanekom being driven over by his supporting pack members. Ross Hayden converted. Cleck were now in the driving seat and five minutes later Matt Piper started and finished the move of the match. As he broke from a ruck he cleverly chipped over the first line of defence, Ross Hayden gathered and fed a perfectly timed inside pass back to Matt Piper who had supported his own kick. Hayden once more converted and the feeling of optimism was growing. Just when Cleck needed cool heads to shut up shop and retain possession, just prior to the break, a penalty was conceded and the reliable Sam Rasch reduced the deficit to four points. The half had reflected a growing confidence in the Cleck ranks and with the slight breeze in their favour a similar effort was required.

Unfortunately the early minutes of the second half did not quite go to plan.Three penalties awarded against Cleck in the first eight minutes of the half resulted in Sam Rasch reducing the arrears to one point with a penalty and with it the initiative in a tight encounter. To make matters worse Cleck's player coach Doug Trivella was given a yellow card for preventing release of the ball. Westoe were unable to take full advantage of their numerical superiority and as Ben Wade replaced Ian Gresser to provide more mobility, the home side were now increasing their efforts. Westoe remained resilient under increasing pressure, centre John Fitzpatrick regularly testing the home defence with his powerful runs down the middle of the field.

In the 65th minute and to the frustration of the home support, Cleck were penalised for not releasing at a tackle. Sam Rasch's penalty effort initially looked to be going to the left of the posts but a cunning northerly gust readjusted the ball's flight path and Westoe were in the lead.

Cleckheaton continued to exert pressure with a disputable forward pass denying what appeared to be a scoring chance for Ross Hayden. Matters were not helped when the front row had to be reorganised as Bossy Muller was helped from the field, but Cleck were unable to breach a strong Westoe defence as another narrow defeat was poor reward for a much improved and wholehearted performance.

A record of three wins from nine matches would suggest that the new year could be marked by a constant struggle and a fight to stave off relegation. Hopefully as the team settles and injured players return the outlook will be more optimistic. Moreover, on closer investigation you can see a stronger basis for future success. Despite an overseas influence, home grown talent in the first team is flourishing-Ross Hayden, three Piper brothers, Craig Rika and Craig Blackburn being particularly prominent. Add to that a hard working management structure for the other three senior teams, two of which gained notable victories last Saturday provides optimism for the rest of the season.