From the touchline by Dave Campbell

Scarborough played into the teeth of a southwesterly gale in the first half of a keenly-contested North One clash at Silver Royd; however the visitors scored the game’s first try in the 14th minute as wing Ellis Hook found space wide on the left to power over for 5-0.

Scarborough struggled to get their game going without success before centre Komiti Tuilagi collected the ball from a ruck and drove over for his side’s first try to level the scores at 5-5. at the break.

In the 44th minute, the home side took the lead thanks to full back Tom Harrison who pounced on a loose ball to score his side’s second try for a 10-5 lead.

A try from skipper Drew Govier extended the Scarborough lead to a 15-5 before Fly half Tom Ratcliffe kicked a couple of late penalties for 21-5.

An injury-time Durham try gave the visitors a more respectable score line but the Seasiders were good value for their win

MAN OF THE MATCH; Euan Govier,

Action from last Saturday’s game between Pocklington and Durham City PICTURE: DAVE CAMPBELL

Having topped North One East last November following a good start to their 2019/2020 campaign, Scarborough RUFC have struggled with a catalogue of injuries which has seen them slip to 6th place in the league going into the final six weeks of the season.

They now find themselves in a relegation dogfight with seven other teams to avoid the third relegation spot in the league with third bottom side Percy Park on 45 points and the Seasiders themselves on 51. With four points for a win and only seven games left, every game between now and  the end of the season will be absolutely. Vital.

Brothers Jonty & Jordan Holloway scored both tries in Scarborough‘s14-13 win at Durham city in October last year.

Starting tomorrow Durham City are the visitors to Silver Royd; the Seasiders defeated City on the road earlier in the season however the men from County Durham have been on a recent revival and  last Saturday beat Pocklington on the road 15-14 to move up from the third relegation spot. I went through to Pocklington but saw nothing that unduly alarmed me and if Drew Govier’s men play to their potential they should progress in the league. Coach Smith has added Sam Jackson in the backs while Matty Jones returns to the squad following injury.

The crunch games  keep coming with a trip to Driffield next week followed by Morley at home on the 14th. Percy Road, Pocklington is the destination on the 21st where the Seasiders will look to avenge a home defeat earlier in the season. And a very busy March is completed with the visit of Malton to Silver Royd on the 28th; it’s going to be a nail-biting month!  Hopefully Things will be much clearer before the game at Bradford on April 4th and the final game of the season with high-flying Cleckheaton on the 11th.

SCARBOROUGH’S REMAINING GAMES

Via Tuilagi in action in the game at York. Photo: Jenny Brown Wood

Due to family reasons I was unable to travel to York but Charlie Hopper’s full report can be found on the Scarborough RUFC website at http://www.scarboroughrugby.co.uk

Tom Harrison takes the game to York. Photo: Jenny Brown Wood.

Scarborough take on York earlier in the season at Silver Royd

Photograph by Jenny Brown Wood

Scarborough are on the road tomorrow to take on league leaders York RUFC At Clifton Park. The Minstermen have been on a great run which has seen them win nine in a row and go top in North One East; however last week they were surprisingly beaten 37-23 on the road by second-placed Cleckheaton.

In the corresponding game at Silver Royd in October Scarborough led 21-3 with only nine minutes of the game to go; however a spirited fight-back by York saw them close the gap and a late try earned them an unlikely 24-21 win.

NORTH ONE EAST Including games played 8 February 2020

Last Saturday Scarborough ran-in six tries in the 36-15 defeat of visitors West Hartlepool who had beaten Cleckheaton at home the previous week; they make one change in their lineup for the trip down the A64, the pack being bolstered by the inclusion of experienced forward Chris Purdy.

Last season with the relative league positions reversed, the Seasiders won 29-20 At Clifton Park and interestingly York will reportedly play former Scarborough second row Cade Robinson at blind-side flanker against his old club.

TOMORROW’S FIXTURES



DON’T FORGET YORK V SCARBOROUGH KICKS OFF AT 3pm.

Billy Parker had an outstanding game against West Hartlepool

Scarborough always had too much penetration for a workman-like West Hartlepool side, running in six tries in a 36-15 win at Silver Royd yesterday.

Playing into the cold, blustery wind, the Seasiders took control early on with tries from scrum-half Jordi Wakeham and centre Via Tuilagi to lead 10-0. The visitors reduced the arrears with a close-range try from No8 Chris Atkins in the 20th minute; 10-5.

NORTH ONE EAST (including games played 8th February 2020)

‘West’ had their best spell of the game before the break but resolute Scarborough defence negated their attacking efforts.

Playing with the wind after the break Scarborough delighted the crowd with a scintillating display of running rugby and ran in four well-worked tries from flyhalf Tom Ratcliffe, Jonty Holloway, lock Luke Brown and fullback Tom Harrison; Ratcliffe converted three for a 36-5 lead. However they switched off in the last five minutes and conceded a couple of soft tries which had no bearing on the outcome but could prove costly on another day.

READ CHARLIE HOPPER’S FULL REPORT IN THURSDAY’S SCARBOROUGH NEWS

Read the latest on Scarborough RUFC in February’s Scarborough Review; free at a supermarket near you.

VIA TUILAGI (Top) BILLY PARKER (above)

Scarborough take on visitors West Hartlepool at Silver Royd tomorrow looking to bounce back from last week’s 35-24 defeat at Moortown. And the Seasiders have been boosted by the return to the ranks of long-term injury victim Via Tuilagi who dislocated his shoulder on his first start at Malton in early December and Billy Parker who has been unavailable due to business commitments since the 4th of January; they will play in the centres.

West Hartlepool are currently second bottom of North One East but have been putting in some creditable performances in the last month and last Saturday produced the surprise result of the day when second placed Cleckheaton were beaten 20-19 at home.

Including games played 1st February 2020

In the corresponding away fixture in October Scarborough overturned an early 15-0 ‘West’ lead and tries from Jonty Holloway, Henry Hocking, Billy Parker and Jack Anderson plus nine points from the boot of Jordi Wakeham saw them to a 29-25 bonus-point win.

West Hartlepool have yet to win away from their Brinkburn HQ although they went close on their last ‘away day’ going down 12-17 at Bradford & Bingley. Coach Simon Smith’s charges will be looking to continue their home form which saw them put Huddersfield YMCA to to the sword 50-10 in their last Silver Royd outing.

Luke Brown scores Scarborough’s second try at Moortown

Photograph: Jenny Brown Hill

Moortown dashed to an early 12-3 lead thanks to tries from Jack Hughes and Tom Moorby with fly-half Tom Ratcliffe kicking a penalty for the visitors.

Scarborough cut the deficit to a couple of points when winger Sam Jackson dived in to touchdown and Ratcliffe converted for 10-12.

CHARLIE HOPPER’S FULL REPORT IN THURSDAY’S SCARBOROUGH NEWS