Stocksbridge edge Thirsk in sponsors day thriller

it wasn’t pretty, but it was what we needed, & we got the job done

‘it wasn’t pretty, but it was what we needed, & we got the job done’ was the frank assessment of Head Coach Rhys Keenan, as Bradfield Brewery sponsored Stocksbridge Rugby grabbed the points in a nervy victory over visitors to Coal Pit Lane Thirsk Rugby, in the Club’s annual Sponsors Day fixture at the weekend. The Piggys eventually scraping home by 3pts to nil on a blustery, rain soaked & cold early Spring afternoon.

It was by no means a classic, with the weather making flowing rugby almost impossible, so credit must be given to both teams for producing an entertaining game, with the final result in some doubt right up until the final whistle. Credit too for those who braved the weather to watch, it was worth it !

Roebuck replaced Beal in the 2nd row, & Tom Spencer made a welcome return to the back row after injury.

Stocksbridge had the lions share of both possession & territory in a dominant 1st half display, & came close to scoring with forwards Newton, Whitaker & Jordan Fletcher all going close. A penalty converted by Scott Bowskill, sponsored by Byron & Teresa Turner, was all the home side had to show for their efforts, with no one realizing how crucial this effort would prove to be at the time. Thirsk tried hard to make some headway, but a combination of strong home defense, with O’Leary taking no prisoners in midfield, & their own lack of imagination proved their downfall. Half time came with Stocksbridge Rugby just 3pts to nil up.

Most of the action in the 2nd stanza was in the visitors half, as Stocksbridge sustained the pressure on the Thirsk line. A sweeping move lead to an overlap for winger Joe Jones to score in the corner, but somehow he found a way to get tackled when a try seemed the easier option. Stocksbridge did try to play some attacking football with fly half Westby reveling in his favoured position, getting the back line moving at every opportunity, & linking well with stand in skipper, that man Frith. The last 10 minutes tho belonged to the visitors who pinned Stockbridge in their own 20 metre zone, & forced tackle after tackle from the overworked home defensive unit, who just about held firm, despite being reduced to 14 men for the final 8 minutes when flanker Reece Aspin was sin binned after retaliating to a punch thrown from a Thirsk forward. There was relief all round, at the final whistle, from the large crowd & watching sponsors who braved the conditions to see Stocksbridge hold on to record a narrow 3pt victory, effectively ending Thirsk’s interest in the title race.

The Clubs sponsors chose that man Frith, sponsored by BM Decorating Services, as the Man of the Match, although Woodcock, Aspin & Ricky James delivered solid performances as Stocksbridge Rugby hold on to top spot in the Shield league table with just 2 fixtures remaining. The first of these, a tricky trip away at Halifax Rugby this weekend, & then on 6th April the showdown with Leeds based, Burley Rugby where the winner may well take the title.

The club are grateful to all of the partners who helped make the sponsors event a success, & are delighted to announce dual code international, British & Irish Lion John ‘bentos’ Bentley as guest speaker at their prestigious annual awards dinner on 17th May, there is limited availability & the event is expected to sell out, so please contact the club for the hottest ticket in town.