Bees 10-23 Cleckheaton

ON AN afternoon when temperatures hovered around nought degrees, only the hardiest supporters stood in the open throughout this derby at Wagon Lane on Saturday.

A wind - unusually blowing from the Dowley Gap end of the ground - didn’t help the chill, but fans from Cleckheaton, who have climbed up to eighth, were doubtless warmed by the efforts of their players as the Moorenders completed the double over their derby rivals.

“It was our best performance of the season by a mile,” said Cleckheaton’s player-coach Thiu Barnard of their 23-10 North One East victory, “and it was based on defence.”

Barnard, who started because of the unavailability of Joey Carley, added: “There were two turning points – Paul Turner’s tackle about 15 minutes before time when the Bees had a sizeable overlap and our first try in the 72nd minute.

“The message at half-time was all about patience, and hooker Niall Jackson was our man of the match and was outstanding.

”Four of our next six matches are at home, and the away matches are both derbies, so watch out Scarborough and Bridlington at Moorend on January 5 and 12.”

Third-placed Bradford & Bingley, who bravely attempted an expansive style of play on a day which screamed for stick-it-up your-jumper rugby, were leading 10-9 when a pass went loose as they were attacking.

Centre Mike Swetman hoofed the ball downfield and, despite then overrunning the ball deep in the Bees 22, winger Mikey Hayward was on hand to drop on it to score.

Fly half Dale Breakwell added the conversion to his three earlier penalties and, for good measure, also converted flanker Josh Plunkett’s try six minutes later in the gathering gloom to deny the hosts even a bonus point.

The hooping and hollering from the Cleckheaton players at the final whistle showed just what the win meant to a side that are too close to the relegation places for comfort, and was reminiscent of Old Brodleians winning a Boxing Day derby at Moorend against their old rivals.

Bees No 8 Tom Cummins admitted: “We gave them the second half, didn’t finish the game off and were falling off tackles.

“We lost our set-pieces as well, and all in all we didn’t click and let them run at us and put us on the back foot instead of meeting them.

“It would have been nice to have gone into the Christmas break with an eighth successive win, but if we win at Huddersfield YMCA on January 5 we will be right back in the promotion mix.”

The Wagon Lane pitch passed an inspection by referee Adam Carpenter (Midlands Society), meaning that the contingency plan of using Keighley’s artificial pitch in a tea-time kick-off could be shelved.

It rained pretty much from beginning to end, however, and Cleckheaton went ahead early on via a Breakwell penalty after the home side were pinged for not rolling away.

The Bees then conceded another penalty when their kick-off into the wind failed to go 10 metres.

Visiting full back James Wilson then came into the three-quarter line and kicked ahead, but Aaron Magee beat Hayward to the ball behind the home line.

Cleckheaton were then held up over the Bees line in the ninth minute, and couldn’t profit five minutes later when the hosts were penalised again and conceded another 10 metres for dissent.

It took Anthony Posa’s side until the 16th minute to pose a threat, and Hayward was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on as the Bees attacked from deep.

Skilful passing was not dampened by the conditions, with Bradford & Bingley fly half Tom Johnson leading the way with his twinkling feet.

Breakwell showed that he could clear his lines as effectively as knocking over a penalty, but Cleckheaton went behind on the half-hour after lock Ryan Piercy was pulled up for a high tackle.

Full back Cameron Bainbridge was the Bees player to profit with a try from a well-worked move, but the scorer went off injured six minutes later.

However, the home side finished the half on the front foot.

A minute into stoppage time they won a penalty and kicked for the corner and, although no try came from that attack, they did score four minutes later when flanker Ali Macdonald crossed from another potent move.

Scrum half Lance Taylor could not land either conversion, and two minutes into the second half the Bees lead was down to a point as Breakwell landed his third penalty.

Cleckheaton then threatened down their left wing, and inventive No 8 Jack Seddon also took play confidently into home territory.

Breakwell missed a difficult penalty from the right in the 57th minute, the Bees had prop Alex Keeton sin-binned two minutes later and then came Turner’s crucial tackle.

Fly half Breakwell was off target with another penalty in the 65th minute, but the visitors finished the match in the ascendancy, with strong-running centre Matt Piper working hard as usual, with those tries for Hayward and Plunkett.

By
Bill Marshall
Thanks to the Telegraph and Argus