Holderness Vikings U14s have secured a spot in the Yorkshire Supplementary Cup Final against Stanningley this Saturday, following a hard-fought victory over Emley Moor last Sunday.
This achievement is believed to mark the Vikings’ first-ever appearance in a Yorkshire Final, a significant milestone for a team largely composed of players who have been together since their non-competitive primary rugby days.
The final will take place at Featherstone Rovers’ Post Office Road ground, providing a fantastic climax to a season that’s seen the Vikings face off against teams from Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cumbria in various cup runs.
The semi-final was a tight contest, with the Vikings and Emley Moor well-matched. Having defeated Emley Moor 18-0 in the National Cup in January, the Vikings expected a competitive rematch as both teams had evolved since then.
The game remained scoreless for 20 minutes until Dylan ran a great line and, pivoting perfectly, offloaded to Riley, who covered 40 metres to score untouched, putting the Vikings ahead 4-0. Jack added the first of his two crucial conversions to make it 6-0.
The Vikings struck again soon after, taking advantage of a scrum 20 metres out. Max T hit the line with pace, and though he was stopped, the quick play allowed the Vikings to shift their attack to the left, where Tye broke through the defence to score. Jack converted, bringing the score to 12-0 at half-time.
Playing uphill on a heavy pitch, the Vikings might have capitalised further, but an error on the kick-off set the tone for a tense second half. Emley Moor scored their first try by stretching the Vikings’ defence and kicking cross-field, narrowing the lead to 12-6.
Five minutes later, they crossed again on the left edge, overpowering the Vikings’ defence, but missed the conversion, leaving the score at 12-10 with 10 minutes remaining.
Both sides traded sets and errors, neither able to secure control of the game. Credit to the young Vikings for their resilient defence and determination to see the game through, as they stood firm even after mistakes. The final play saw a crucial charge down by Matthew, with Dylan regathering possession to secure the win at the whistle.
Special mention goes to Harvey W, who, despite an early knock, played the entire match, only to discover he had suffered a blood clot, which later required hospital treatment and unfortunately rules him out of the final – a true warrior. Many players deserve recognition, but powerhouse performances from Dylan and Max T earned them joint Man of the Match honours.
For the final, the team will depart from outside the Ship Inn in Keyingham on Saturday at 10.30am, heading to West Yorkshire for their season’s closing game.
GOOD LUCK, LADS!
