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Bees 42 Ossett 0
Nick Patterson25 Jan - 12:56
Bees run in 6 tries for their ninth bonus point win of the season Bill Marshall reporting
JACK Kennedy may only be in his first season for Bradford & Bingley, but he understands the pain that his colleagues have gone through over many years.
Kennedy, part of a growing link between the Bees and Keighley Albion, is a key figure in what could be the Bees’ best season since they finished fourth in National League Three North in 2011-12.
Since then there have been seasons where Bradford & Bingley have failed to claim a win or only bagged one or two in what had been a steep decline, and 28-year-old Kennedy admitted: “I am a very recent addition to the club and I have heard how they have struggled and all I can think of is ‘wow’.
“What spirit and togetherness and unity as a team they must have had to bear through that hardship, and to come through it it is absolutely brilliant.
“They have been to hell and back and they are getting their just rewards now.”
The Bees currently sit fourth in Counties Two Yorkshire with some key matches ahead as outsiders in a promotion bid, and Kennedy confessed: “I am looking to build strong ties between Albion and the Bees, and Bees lads such as Corey (Spencer) and Brooky (Lewis Brook) played for our second team last year, and it is only fair to repay that kindness and come down here.
“Albion lads Sam Wild, Kris Gott and Josh Tenniswood were already down here.”
Kennedy then explained the difference that he has found between league and union, saying: “In league I am an out and out prop and my main focus is to be an enforcer - strong carries, strong runs, lead by example and step up when things get tough.
“I also like to think that I have got a bit of footwork, a bit of smarts and I think that I play that role quite well.”
Kennedy, who scored two tries in the 42-0 defeat of Ossett and was named as the Bees’ man of the match, added: “The largest difference in union is that I am not quite as involved, whereas in league I am in the centre and I am always tackling, always running, so in union I have to make a conscious effort not to gravitate towards the ball, stay in my channel and wait.
“I have been really fortunate to play alongside Ben Hemsley and Legs (Dom Walker), Sam Wild - they all babysit me and coach me through it.
“The link between the clubs is brilliant and I love the facilities down here.”
Nowhere is the link stronger than at under-14 level, where, if the Bees win their cup final in March, both squads of similar personnel will have won back-to-back league and cup doubles over two seasons.
As for defeating bottom-of-the-table Ossett, who had 12 first XV squad members unavailable for various reasons and handed seasonal debuts to their 8, 9 and 10: Kennedy said: “Our focus, although I haven’t been able to make it to training in recent weeks due to pre-season fitness sessions at Albion, was on delivering a game-plan to near perfection.
“We looked at attacking out wide off the back of great intent by the forwards.
“They were immense and we won all our scrums and got a lot of intercepted line-outs, which increased our time on the ball and decreased theirs.
“We tackled everything, we ran everything and a lot of the time we made the right decisions.
“I wasn’t worried about not getting the four-try bonus point because offensively we are very capable.”
Kennedy admitted: “I will be going back to Albion soon, but it won’t be hurried and I think I have at least two more games for the Bees.
“I have room to improve on the fitness side of things as a 130kg inside centre! You need to have that mobility and endurance to play at prop.”
Ossett kicked off towards the cricket field in a game that was punctuated by referee David Hartley’s whistle, which led to several yellow cards and not as much flow as in your average game, although the referee was generally praised for his handing.
The closest the visitors came to scoring was as early as the second minute when Bees winger Cobi Denton held up lock Ryan Fonq, forcing a goal-line drop-out for the hosts.
Eight minutes later Ossett flanker Sam Wilkinson was sin-binned for a high tackle, the Bees cashing in in the 12th minute when a Brook break and inside pass put veteran lock Rob Woodhead over, Walker converting from bang on the 22-metre line.
Five minutes later, Kennedy showed pace and determination to go over from distance, Walker again adding the extras.
In the 24th minute, Denton was yellow carded for a high tackle, Ossett again going close to breaking their duck, and the half ended with Ossett winger Ben Andrassy being sin-binned for a high tackle on diminutive scrum half Wild.
Any fears that so much whistle would deny the Bees a four-try bonus point were dispelled within seven minutes of the restart.
First Woodhead fumbled and regathered to score in the 43rd minute, and four minutes later a break by full back Ryan Wilson was completed by Walker, who added both conversions to make it 28-0.
Bees flanker Adam Mapals became the fourth player to be carded - this time for a late tackle on Stephen Gibbs - in the 54th minute, but the Bees scored their fifth try three minutes later via No 8 Corey Spencer, Walker’s conversion stretching the lead to 35-0.
Six minutes before the close, the two smallest players on the field - Wild and Ossett winger Sam Busfield - had a set-to that sparked a melee, and the Bees finished the match with their sixth try, powerful replacement Shaun May and skipper Luke Spauls setting up the position for Kennedy to grab his second, Walker completing a perfect kicking afternoon with the conversion.
Kennedy, part of a growing link between the Bees and Keighley Albion, is a key figure in what could be the Bees’ best season since they finished fourth in National League Three North in 2011-12.
Since then there have been seasons where Bradford & Bingley have failed to claim a win or only bagged one or two in what had been a steep decline, and 28-year-old Kennedy admitted: “I am a very recent addition to the club and I have heard how they have struggled and all I can think of is ‘wow’.
“What spirit and togetherness and unity as a team they must have had to bear through that hardship, and to come through it it is absolutely brilliant.
“They have been to hell and back and they are getting their just rewards now.”
The Bees currently sit fourth in Counties Two Yorkshire with some key matches ahead as outsiders in a promotion bid, and Kennedy confessed: “I am looking to build strong ties between Albion and the Bees, and Bees lads such as Corey (Spencer) and Brooky (Lewis Brook) played for our second team last year, and it is only fair to repay that kindness and come down here.
“Albion lads Sam Wild, Kris Gott and Josh Tenniswood were already down here.”
Kennedy then explained the difference that he has found between league and union, saying: “In league I am an out and out prop and my main focus is to be an enforcer - strong carries, strong runs, lead by example and step up when things get tough.
“I also like to think that I have got a bit of footwork, a bit of smarts and I think that I play that role quite well.”
Kennedy, who scored two tries in the 42-0 defeat of Ossett and was named as the Bees’ man of the match, added: “The largest difference in union is that I am not quite as involved, whereas in league I am in the centre and I am always tackling, always running, so in union I have to make a conscious effort not to gravitate towards the ball, stay in my channel and wait.
“I have been really fortunate to play alongside Ben Hemsley and Legs (Dom Walker), Sam Wild - they all babysit me and coach me through it.
“The link between the clubs is brilliant and I love the facilities down here.”
Nowhere is the link stronger than at under-14 level, where, if the Bees win their cup final in March, both squads of similar personnel will have won back-to-back league and cup doubles over two seasons.
As for defeating bottom-of-the-table Ossett, who had 12 first XV squad members unavailable for various reasons and handed seasonal debuts to their 8, 9 and 10: Kennedy said: “Our focus, although I haven’t been able to make it to training in recent weeks due to pre-season fitness sessions at Albion, was on delivering a game-plan to near perfection.
“We looked at attacking out wide off the back of great intent by the forwards.
“They were immense and we won all our scrums and got a lot of intercepted line-outs, which increased our time on the ball and decreased theirs.
“We tackled everything, we ran everything and a lot of the time we made the right decisions.
“I wasn’t worried about not getting the four-try bonus point because offensively we are very capable.”
Kennedy admitted: “I will be going back to Albion soon, but it won’t be hurried and I think I have at least two more games for the Bees.
“I have room to improve on the fitness side of things as a 130kg inside centre! You need to have that mobility and endurance to play at prop.”
Ossett kicked off towards the cricket field in a game that was punctuated by referee David Hartley’s whistle, which led to several yellow cards and not as much flow as in your average game, although the referee was generally praised for his handing.
The closest the visitors came to scoring was as early as the second minute when Bees winger Cobi Denton held up lock Ryan Fonq, forcing a goal-line drop-out for the hosts.
Eight minutes later Ossett flanker Sam Wilkinson was sin-binned for a high tackle, the Bees cashing in in the 12th minute when a Brook break and inside pass put veteran lock Rob Woodhead over, Walker converting from bang on the 22-metre line.
Five minutes later, Kennedy showed pace and determination to go over from distance, Walker again adding the extras.
In the 24th minute, Denton was yellow carded for a high tackle, Ossett again going close to breaking their duck, and the half ended with Ossett winger Ben Andrassy being sin-binned for a high tackle on diminutive scrum half Wild.
Any fears that so much whistle would deny the Bees a four-try bonus point were dispelled within seven minutes of the restart.
First Woodhead fumbled and regathered to score in the 43rd minute, and four minutes later a break by full back Ryan Wilson was completed by Walker, who added both conversions to make it 28-0.
Bees flanker Adam Mapals became the fourth player to be carded - this time for a late tackle on Stephen Gibbs - in the 54th minute, but the Bees scored their fifth try three minutes later via No 8 Corey Spencer, Walker’s conversion stretching the lead to 35-0.
Six minutes before the close, the two smallest players on the field - Wild and Ossett winger Sam Busfield - had a set-to that sparked a melee, and the Bees finished the match with their sixth try, powerful replacement Shaun May and skipper Luke Spauls setting up the position for Kennedy to grab his second, Walker completing a perfect kicking afternoon with the conversion.
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