U16s - The Sweet Taste of Success

Games against the lads from Leyburn have usually proved to be hard fought games, with no quarter asked or given, and this mornings encounter was to prove that there was no exception to this rule. With the clocks going back an away trip to Penrith or Tynedale might have been a good option for the early morning call, but cest la vie the opportunity for the first win of the season was evidently the main thing on our boys minds.

Showing a sense of urgency and determination from the start DMP scored just over five minutes from the kick-off. After a number of well constructed phases, from the returning Matty S and the ever willing Josh B, the boys found themselves in the opposition half when Andrew W made a great break to get into the Wensleydale 22, offloaded to Ross B who found the supporting Harry E on his left and over he went for the five points, great team effort. With the wind in their faces the boys in blue and white were made to put in an early defensive shift and the next twenty minutes was a combination of backs to the wall defence, some great try saving tackling and also strong forwards play to make ground when the chance presented itself. When the boys did make it to halfway the crowd were treat to a great bit of interchange play for the next try. The ball was fed through Alex W to Ross B who passed to Danny W, he then spread the ball out to James S who beat an oncoming defender before passing out to Ross B on the loop, thirty metres later.....try number two. The closing passages of the first half were definitely in the favour of Wensleydale and the DMP boys did well to confine the opposition to just a single converted try. 10 - 7 at oranges.

With the wind now at their backs a spot of game management was no doubt being considered by the on-field leaders in order to peg back the black and yellow hoops and start the scoreboard ticking over. A scrum after the restart saw Andrew W and Matty S making powerful runs yet again supported by forwards Daniel W B, Toby H, Dom D and Marcus H, all physically and vocally supported by Tom G. Once again the ball found its way along the backs on halfway with Danny W popping off a final pass to James S, who evaded several potential captors and ran half the length of the field to score.The extras added by Ross B. With only a few minutes gone after the restart and a trademark powerburst by Andrew W, saw him go over for another five points. The extras expertly added by Ross B. Then as the London Bus saying goes...the boys found themselves deep into Wensleydale territory when the ball went into touch, quick thinking from Tom H and he grabbed the ball took a quick throw in to Ross B and over he went for the final DMP try, once again he made a super kick for the two.
From the restart and in fairness for the remainder of the game, Wensleydale gave it a real good go and they scored three tries in the final quarter to make for a nerve jangling finale. However the boys in blue and white were not about to let defeat be snatched from the jaws of victory and they hung on for a deserved win.

A good result for DMP but Wensleydale kept us honest and and made it an excellent, entertaining and hard fought game. Congratulations for their part to their players, coaches and supporters.

Motm - Matty S..line breaker extraordinary,