U15's Plate challenge ends

This weeks match saw the Under 15's take on Aireborough in the Yorkshire Plate. The Bees lost their home advantage after the recent flooding at Wagon Lane and the game moved to Guiseley. Conditions were cold, muddy but playable.

The first half saw the Bees under pressure with the opening fifteen minutes played in their own half. Time after time the lads held off Aireborough on or close to their try line only to concede a seemingly inevitable try in the corner. The try was unconverted and Aireborough took the lead 5 points to nil. However, the Bees rallied towards the end of the first half and gained more territory on their opponents. After the best Bees spell of the half, James Whitcombe managed to go over in the corner and score. Not surprising in the conditions he failed to convert and the game was level at 5 all. Good attacking play from the Bees failed to be rewarded with points and the half ended, honors even.

The Bees started the second half confidently but so did their Guiseley opponents. It was difficult to spot the ball as it was covered throughout in a slippery layer of mud, as were both the teams. A stamina sapping half saw both teams determined to breakthrough, but it was Aireborough that kept coming up with the ball at the vital moments. Too much off-loading in the conditions by the Bees gave the advantage to Aireborough, although both sides had opportunities to win the game. James Whitcombe again went over the try line but was forced off the field by a strong Aireborough defense, failing to ground the ball. You got the feeling that whoever scored next, be it try or kick would win the match. And so it was, with Aireborough breaking through tackles by a Bees defense on the right hand side. Having broken the line the Aireborough try scorer managed to put the ball down under the sticks to make for an easy conversion. For the remainder of the match it was back to business as usual with two committed teams reaching a stalemate.

Despite the conditions, it was an enjoyable game to watch and played in the right manner. Hard, aggressive but fair. Well done to both sets of lads as usual.

Matt Seavers