Bees Keep going to the end, again

YOU would have thought after a 12-try defeat that culminated in the dismissal of Corey Spencer for use of the arm in an off-the-ball incident four minutes from time that all would be doom and gloom at Bradford & Bingley.
But exactly the opposite is true of the bottom-of-the-table club following their North One East hammering against leaders Ilkley at Stacks Field.
Head coach Hugh Gumbs, witnessing the endeavour of his young side who are growing up together in difficult circumstances, has used the pandemic, which he says could not have come at a better time, to allow the club to play the long game rather than just look at the here and now.
Admitting that 2021-22 is for them an experimental campaign, Gumbs revealed that they have a crop of youngsters who could make a real impact down the line.
He said: “For the first time in the Bees’ recent history we have some unbelievable players coming forward, some of whom were watching this match. If you get the chance come and watch our juniors.
“The first team is just full of local kids, they have grown up together, they are a good group and that is fantastic for Bingley.
“If it was about effort, we would be winners in every game, but it is not just about effort, it is about skill, and Ilkley were far better than us. You cannot argue about how well drilled they are.
“But we could have won the match at Consett earlier this season, where we got a four-try bonus point.
“However, the future bodes well for us. We have great under-17s and great under-16s and many good ones underneath them, and the pandemic could not have come at a better time.
“It has allowed us to do this re-structuring so that this season is an experimental one for us and will allow these boys to grow up together.
“Being honest it is going to take us until Christmas, and remember it is important how we finish a season. I prefer us to start badly and finish well than start well and finish badly.”
One problem for Gumbs and his staff is that the team played no pre-season friendlies, but he admitted: “We have played two very good teams recently in Ilkley and Morpeth.
“I can’t argue about the fact that we are losing, but what was frustrating was that we are slightly unlucky at times – we should have had a penalty try here and we should have had another try later on.
“We were on the front foot for the first 20 minutes and then the foot comes off and we concede 20 points. Also, we had a catch-and drive five metres out that we messed up but if we keep working together, hopefully we will end up in a really positive way.
“The effort of the boys was really good. We still started off quite slowly, and building a team has had quite an effect on us – for example we gave debuts here to winger Josh Tenniswood and replacement Adam Gaunt.
“Yes, we have players who really aren’t at this standard, but they are still giving their all for the club, which is fantastic.
“I cannot knock the commitment of the players. They are giving everything for the club.”
Gumbs added: “We have elder statesmen such as Roger Raper, Mat Cochrane, Crotchy (Michael Crotch) and Corey Spencer putting in a shift, and as a generally young team we will get better as the season progresses.
“We have more players joining us next week for example when we will get a second team out. This is all helping us to move forward but it is just a bit late.
“If it had happened several weeks ago, we would be in a better position, but that is the way that it is, but I cannot moan because the pandemic has hit other clubs as well.”
As for individuals in the match against Ilkley, Gumbs said: “Robbie Spencer was awesome at prop, skipper Cochrane was brilliant in the back row, our second row (Harvey Kemp and Joe Daly) was good, as was prop Roger Raper, and Ben Hemsley is a real find at scrum half.”
Hard work is part of the solution to the first team’s progress, admits Gumbs.
He said: “The camararderie is really good within the club and it is about keeping them working hard.
“We haven’t had weeks off. We trained earlier in the season when we had a cup game called off against Moortown, and we will train hard next week, and it is through hard work that you will get something out of it at the end as we work towards that complete game and improving their standards.”
Ilkley’s first-half tries came from full back JH Johnson, scrum half Jack Maplesden, No 8 Will Addyman and lock Stephen Costello, with second-half efforts coming from Maplesden, centres Kristian Dobson and Ben King, winger Harry Boyd (3) and replacement Adam Hopkins.
They also had a penalty try, with fly half Charles Ramsay kicking seven conversions.