MOORENDS INFLICT LEADERS' FIRST DEFEAT
Drighlington ARLFC U-16s 16, Moorends Maurauders 32 LEEDS-based Drighlington's only defeat of the season was Moorends' first League win.
The visitors matched the home side in every department, which frustrated the team which needs only one point from three league games to be crowned champions.
After 15 minutes Ryan Dukes left the Drighlington defence in tatters before
off-loading to Craig Hookway who found Neil Gutteridge with a long ball.
Gutteridge then put on a devastating finish from 35 metres to give Moorends a 4-0 lead.
Five minutes later Drighlington drew level with an unconverted try.
From the re-start Moorends went straight back at the home side. Dean Armstrong and Ryan Rafferty linked with the back row of Gutteridge, Brett Staveley and Jamie Moore.
Ben Hoffman then engineered sufficient space to send a long ball to loose forward Moore to power over, taking three defenders with him.
Rafferty added the extra two points to give Marauders the 10-4 lead.
With half-time looming, Adam Pickles came off from his wing to escape a weak tackle before rounding the full back and, with the line begging, he slipped in the mud and was tackled five metres short.
A quick play the ball saw Nathan Hazelwood, Hookway and industrious prop Graham Swift link to send Staveley diving in at the corner to give Marauders the 14-4 lead at half-time.
Second half play got under way with Marauders taking the game by the scruff of the neck, not content to rest on their laurels.
Stuart Lupton, receiving from Hazelwood, burst through before supplying Gutteridge to race in and touch down for his second try.
With Rafferty's conversion adding the extra two points, Marauders extended their lead to 20-4.
Marauders subs Kris Taylor and Leigh Cuttell soon made their presence felt.
Taylor went on a 40-metres barn-storming run, only to be stopped 15 metres short of the try line.
Hazelwood moved the ball left to Rafferty who sold a dummy to the defence before shooting through the gap to take on and round the Drighlington full back to score a brilliant try which he then successfully converted.
Drighlington's second try came on the 70th minute from the man of the match Number 11, the converted try taking the score to 26-10.
Five minutes remaining, Craig Alexandar defused a high bomb to clear his line before Cuttell and Staveley took the ball into the home team's half.
Moorends were awarded a penalty 30 metres from the Drighlington try line.
Pickles took the ball in, and from a quick play the ball, Cuttell wrong-footed the Drighlington defence to crash over for a converted try, Rafferty adding the extra points.
Although lagging 32-10, Drighlington had the last say as they went over in the final minute.
Commenting on Marauders' 32-16 win, team coach Roy Rafferty said he was very pleased by the committed performance of the players.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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