Dearlove Leads the Charge as Skirlaugh See Off Siddal
Skirlaugh 16-4 Siddal
Skirlaugh produced a determined all-round performance on Saturday to secure a deserved 16-4 victory over Siddal in an entertaining and hard-fought Rugby League contest.
The opening exchanges saw both sides complete strongly and go set-for-set, with little to separate the teams. It was Skirlaugh who broke the deadlock through a moment of quality down the right edge. A superb cut-out pass from Lochlan Fitzgerald found Nath Dunn in space, and the winger still had plenty to do, weaving and dummying his way past defenders before racing 30 metres to score. Josh Smith added the conversion to give the hosts a 6-0 advantage.
Both sides enjoyed periods of possession throughout the first half, but Skirlaugh's defence continued to stand tall. George Thompson, Keane Dearlove, Barney Fishwick, Leo Tennison, Matty Shepherdson and Marcus Hall led a resilient defensive effort, repeatedly turning Siddal away and winning the physical battle through the middle.
Siddal eventually found a route back into the game when a grubber kick ricocheted off the legs of a Skirlaugh defender and bounced kindly into the hands of a chasing attacker, who squeezed over in the corner to reduce the deficit.
The second half belonged largely to Skirlaugh as they took control of the contest. Dominating the middle of the park, they were led brilliantly by Man of the Match Keane Dearlove, who proved a constant threat from dummy half. Dearlove grabbed a trademark try midway through the half, dancing past four would-be defenders from six metres out to score. Smith was again on target with the conversion to extend the lead.
Skirlaugh continued to apply pressure with Leo Tennison, Marcus Hall and the forward pack punching holes through the Siddal defence and generating momentum. Slick ball movement from Alfie Walker and Josh Smith then created the opportunity for Tom Gray, who burrowed over from close range for Skirlaugh's third try of the afternoon. Smith was unable to add the extras on this occasion.
The home side came close to adding another score when Nath Dunn produced an audacious flick pass to Makesi David. David had done all the hard work to put himself in a position to score, but unfortunately the ball was knocked on over the line with a try seemingly certain.
Siddal refused to go away and enjoyed a sustained spell on the Skirlaugh line after earning three consecutive sets in good field position. However, outstanding defensive efforts from Thompson, Hall and Gotts ensured the black and amber line remained intact.
The visitors were handed another opportunity when Ross Kemp, who had produced a top-class performance throughout the afternoon, saw his game cut short after three consecutive high tackles resulted in a yellow card. Despite the numerical disadvantage and mounting pressure, Skirlaugh's defensive resolve never wavered with Jack Taylor and Tom Gray making it difficult for the Siddal attack to get through. The black and amber wall stood firm until the final whistle to seal an impressive 16-4 victory.
Man of the Match: Keane Dearlove
Ex Players Association Man of the Match: Marcus Hall
TRY SCORERS
🏉 Nath Dunn
🏉 Keane Dearlove
🏉 Tom Gray
🎯 Josh Smith 2/3 Conversions
Head Coach Matt Danville:
"Keane was excellent from dummy half and deserved his Man of the Match award, while Leo Tennison, Marcus Hall, Harry Gotts and the rest of the forwards worked tirelessly to win the middle and create opportunities for us. Their efforts laid the platform for everything we did in the second half." We probably didn’t get to throw our shape as much as we would usually like but this was part of the plan this week and im really pleased with the reaction from the lads. Our focus now turns to next week when we travel up to Newsome for another top of the table clash”