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Sat 22 Oct 2011 · North One East
Northern
1st XV
24
12
Tries: O Depledge, R Hayden
Northern 24 - 12 Cleckheaton
Neil Gillan26 Oct 2011 - 08:24
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Cleck still searching for their first win on the road
Cleckheaton are still searching for their first win away from home this season after adding to this most unwelcome tally at Newcastle's McCracken Park last Saturday. Excellent home form continues to keep them lower mid table but the contrast between the calm, classy, self-supportive displays at Moorend and the sometimes panicky, ill disciplined, back-biting spells of play on the road are clear for all on the side line to see. Cleckheaton are well coached and have some real talent in their ranks but need to develop their mental strength to help them maintain composure when they fall behind in games such as this one. At the end of the match both teams had scored two tries each but Northern had added 4 penalties, a 12 point advantage that was the fruits of a 17-3 penalty count in their favour. Any team which gifts that much possession and piggy back rides the opposition upfield that many times, is going to find it difficult to win games.
Northern playing with a strong wind at their back took an early lead in the eighth minute with a penalty from centre Alex Clark. A further Clark penalty extended the score to 6-0 but the home side did not appear to have the artillery to threaten Cleckheaton in the longer term. At each of the two restarts Joe Goiti was able to pluck the ball out of the air from a couple of measured kick offs from Iain Gordon, though on both occasions possession was quickly given back to the opposition as they allowed Cleck to think they had cleared a ruck, only to then blast them off it with a secondary push. A gusting wind was causing some difficulties in the line out and any calls for a back ball often resulted in a scrum for the opposition. The wind was a factor in Northern's first half try, as an innocuous looking kick upfield from the home side swirled in the wind and was allowed to bounce. The unpredictability of the egg shaped ball in this situation caused havoc in Cleck's defence and a knock on gifted Northern a 5m scrum from which Paul Brady was able to score. At the break Northern led 13-0 but they had now to face the strong wind in the second half.
Despite conceding the advantage offered by the weather, Northern extended the lead to 16-0 following a further penalty goal. Suddenly, in the fiftieth minute comments from the sideline about Cleck's need to change something in the scrums incensed the pack and passions were sent into overdrive. Cleckheaton now looked a different team, Ryan Piercy picked up at No 8 and charged at the opposition and the rest of the pack followed with him, smashing their way through the oppositions defence in wave after wave, leading to Oliver Depledge scoring on the blindside. At the restart Cleckheaton's pack were still abounding with vigour and caught the ball and took it straight back to the opposition. Northern were now well and truly on the back foot and Cleckheaton narrowed the lead to 16-12 with a try from Ross Hayden, converted by Iain Gordon.
Cleck looked the most likely winners at that point but a pass deemed forward in the opposition's 22 and another pass that went in front of Cleck's wingman and straight into touch, thwarted a couple of opportunities to take the lead. The visitors continued to incur the wrath of the referee and penalties relieved the pressure on Northern. The home side got the decisive score when a long kick downfield from Gordon was harshly ruled to have been taken back into the 22, and rather than restarting the game deep inside their own half, Northern had a line out 10m from Cleckheaton's line. An excellent set-piece from the Newcastle men saw them catch and drive the ball over the whitewash. The try was unconverted but Northern had the last say, when they added a further penalty to give a final score of 24-12
Cleckheaton showed the onlooking crowd the team they can be, for a 20 minute period in the 2nd half of this game. If they can take this mental attitude into all their games this season they will come away with the points most of the time. This Saturday the team face Old Brodleians at Moorend, a game in which neither side will be able to leave anything in the changing rooms and 'full blooded' and 'passionate' are words often used to describe such encounters.
Northern playing with a strong wind at their back took an early lead in the eighth minute with a penalty from centre Alex Clark. A further Clark penalty extended the score to 6-0 but the home side did not appear to have the artillery to threaten Cleckheaton in the longer term. At each of the two restarts Joe Goiti was able to pluck the ball out of the air from a couple of measured kick offs from Iain Gordon, though on both occasions possession was quickly given back to the opposition as they allowed Cleck to think they had cleared a ruck, only to then blast them off it with a secondary push. A gusting wind was causing some difficulties in the line out and any calls for a back ball often resulted in a scrum for the opposition. The wind was a factor in Northern's first half try, as an innocuous looking kick upfield from the home side swirled in the wind and was allowed to bounce. The unpredictability of the egg shaped ball in this situation caused havoc in Cleck's defence and a knock on gifted Northern a 5m scrum from which Paul Brady was able to score. At the break Northern led 13-0 but they had now to face the strong wind in the second half.
Despite conceding the advantage offered by the weather, Northern extended the lead to 16-0 following a further penalty goal. Suddenly, in the fiftieth minute comments from the sideline about Cleck's need to change something in the scrums incensed the pack and passions were sent into overdrive. Cleckheaton now looked a different team, Ryan Piercy picked up at No 8 and charged at the opposition and the rest of the pack followed with him, smashing their way through the oppositions defence in wave after wave, leading to Oliver Depledge scoring on the blindside. At the restart Cleckheaton's pack were still abounding with vigour and caught the ball and took it straight back to the opposition. Northern were now well and truly on the back foot and Cleckheaton narrowed the lead to 16-12 with a try from Ross Hayden, converted by Iain Gordon.
Cleck looked the most likely winners at that point but a pass deemed forward in the opposition's 22 and another pass that went in front of Cleck's wingman and straight into touch, thwarted a couple of opportunities to take the lead. The visitors continued to incur the wrath of the referee and penalties relieved the pressure on Northern. The home side got the decisive score when a long kick downfield from Gordon was harshly ruled to have been taken back into the 22, and rather than restarting the game deep inside their own half, Northern had a line out 10m from Cleckheaton's line. An excellent set-piece from the Newcastle men saw them catch and drive the ball over the whitewash. The try was unconverted but Northern had the last say, when they added a further penalty to give a final score of 24-12
Cleckheaton showed the onlooking crowd the team they can be, for a 20 minute period in the 2nd half of this game. If they can take this mental attitude into all their games this season they will come away with the points most of the time. This Saturday the team face Old Brodleians at Moorend, a game in which neither side will be able to leave anything in the changing rooms and 'full blooded' and 'passionate' are words often used to describe such encounters.
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