Hornsea RUFC 22
Hessle RUFC
The New Year started with a derby fixture for the Hollismen as they hosted their oldest rivals Hessle in a much-anticipated fixture.
Hornsea had won earlier in the season in the corresponding fixture at Livingstone Road in a tight affair, so another close match was expected.
The opening 10 minutes was relatively even with both sides trying to get a foothold in the game. Hornsea had the first opportunity to score, but Marshall was just wide with a penalty attempt from 40 yards after nine minutes.
However, Hornsea did open the scoring after 14 minutes when a break by Adie Wadforth saw him skilfully draw his man and pass to Tim Roberts who raced to the line go score, to give the hosts a 5-0 lead.
Hessle hit back almost immediately from the restart. Hornsea were penalised, and when the Stags moved the ball into the danger zone a rolling maul saw them score to level the scores.
Just before the half-hour mark Hessle took the lead as they started to exert some control of the game. A useful kick-through was collected and touched down under the posts, with the try being converted to give Hessle a 5-12 lead.
Just before the interval the Stags further increased their lead when a break down the middle of the pitch saw them score, again under the posts which was duly converted which saw them take a commanding-looking 5-19 lead into the half-time break.
Hornsea knew they had to move up a gear if they were to take anything from the game, which is what they did as they came hard at their opponents following the restart.
Two tries in quick succession put Hornsea right back in the match, Naylor and Tudor Bateman with the scores with Marshall converting one, taking the scoreline to 17-19 just still in Hessle’s favour.
Hessle were still threatening from time to time but Hornsea were now controlling the game as they looked the more likely side to score. And it was the Hollismen who did score next as they took the lead from another Naylor try out wide to give them a 22-19 lead with just nine minutes remaining.
An injury to Hornsea full-back Will Marshall followed in the next passage of play, resulting in a lengthy stoppage (Hornsea would like to send their appreciation to the Hessle physio for his assistance in making the player comfortable). Hessle had a useful spell of possession as they worked their way to the Hornsea 22, and a penalty gave them the opportunity to level the scores which they did with a straightforward kick at goal, 22-22.
With just a couple of minutes left, Hornsea managed to work the ball downfield as they looked for the winning score, but an agonising knock-on just five metres from the Hessle try line saw the referee blow up for full time in what was a pretty evenly matched enthralling local derby.
Hornsea captain Ed Webster said: “We were pretty disappointed with our first-half effort and Hessle were definitely the better side in the first 40. Credit to the lads for coming back with three unanswered tries, we just didn’t do enough to cling on at the end and we could have nicked it in the dying minutes but it was not to be.”
With Hornsea scoring four tries to Hessle’s three, it saw the Hollismen pick up three league points to cement their place in sixth spot in Counties 4 Yorkshire, with Hessle’s two points actually seeing them moving down a place to 11th due to Leeds Modernians victory.
With the draw, Hornsea’s recent unbeaten run against Hessle stayed intact, which now stretches to 5 matches, with Hessle’s last victory coming in 2017.
