Harltepool Rovers left everything they had on the field but could not quite get the point that they needed from the match against a well drilled Guisborough who kept the home side at arm’s length.
The game kicked off watched by a large home crowd which was added to by over 100 visitors from Guisborough. The hosts had most of the possession in the first quarter of the game but we repelled by a combination of good defence and handling errors. The nerves of the occasion seemed to be stopping Rovers from building any momentum. The visitors game was built around good basics and from a penalty award on 26 minutes they broke the dead-lock.
The ball was kicked to the edge of the 22, and from a good lineout drill the live-wire scrumhalf moved the ball infield to the centre who drove hard at the Rovers defence, the 1st up tackling was good but a clever pop pass to a flanker broke the Rovers defence and he then popped the ball to the supporting scrum half who went over near to the posts for a good try. The conversion was kicked (0-7, 26 Mins).
This seemed to knock the stuffing out of Rovers and Guisborough pressed home their advantage further on 29 minutes, the long kick off was returned to the halfway line and from a ruck the ball was won back by the visitors, playing under an advantage from referee Lacey, Guisborough moved the ball quickly left then to the right and found a gap in the home defence. The visiting winger sped away and when tackled passed inside to the supporting fullback to round the posts to score the try. The conversion was added (0-14, 29 Mins).
The remainder of the half was spent with Rovers trying to break down the stubborn defence but Guisborough held them out.
Half-Time 0 – 14
Rovers made substitutions at half time bringing on Armstrong and Ross to add some impetus up front and they took the game to Guisborough in the early exchanges but the away defence kept them out. The Guisborough lineout was a constant source of good clean possession all game and allowed them to gain a strangle hold on the game. From a lineout Guisborough kicked long downfield and pushed Rovers deep into their 22, the Rovers pack worked their way out of danger but they tried to play a bit too much rugby and the ball was knocked on in the tackle, this allowed the Guisborough backs to move the ball swiftly and the visiting fullback scored near to the posts. Once again, the conversion was kicked (0-21, 50 Mins).
Rovers now had a mountain to climb and Guisborough started to clear long downfield, Railton ran the ball back hard but could never quite break clear from fullback. Rovers were now on top on the game and causing the visitor problem with driving forward play with Armstrong, Baxter and Lloyd prominent. However, on 55 minutes they were dealt a blow when from a turnover in midfield Guisborough moved the ball quickly and caused the Rovers defence problems, the referee deemed that Dring killed the ball at a ruck and he was sent to the sin bin.
Rovers kept to their game plan and worked their way up field and they were no winning penalties, from one such award on 60 minutes BARNFIELD took a quick tap and go and he was away. The Rovers captain sprinted into the away 22 and swerved around the last man to score under the posts. KEER added the conversion (7-21 60 Mins).
Rovers now needed a converted try to get the 1 point that was necessary and the took the play to the visitors. Again, and again that attacked through the forwards but the momentum was stopped by a mixture of good defence and knock-ons.
With time running out Rovers staged one last attack, a penalty was kicked to the corner and from the lineout the Rovers pack drove deep into the Guisborough 22, the pack drove the ball infield and headed for the posts and veteran prop Pinchen drove for the line, he looked to stretch out for the try but was hit by a number of Guisborough defenders and the ball was lost in contact and the visitors cleared the ball to bring the game to an end.
Rovers: Pinchen, Healey, Lloyd, Baxter, Jeffery, Dean, Charters, Dring, Barnfield ©, Rochester, Trimble, Gunn, Keers, Harrison, Railton Subs (All Used) Armstrong, Ross T., Ross C.
MOM: Baxter did a lot of the unseen hard work in a good forward effort.