Super Slaithwaite Strike Back In Last Game Of The Season  

Slaithwaite end the season on a high with a thrilling victory over Greetland. Having taken a hiding earlier on in the year against the visitors, Slaithwaite knew they would have to be at their very best to come out on top. It didn't start off too well as Greetland struck first with a strong drive down the middle of the park culminating in a try and a conversion. This seemed to wake the home side up as they tightened up their defence and put the visitors on the back foot with a series of crunching tackles by props Connor Liversey and Alex Tait along with second rowers Niall O'Connor and Kieran Hanlon. The longer the first half went on the more Slaithwaite began to dominate. As the seconds ticked away Callum Dyson crossed over when hooker Ryan Pickles fooled the Greetland defence with a dummy play the ball leaving a big gap for the prop to burst through. Danny O'Brien added the extras to bring the game to 6-6 at the break.

Slaithwaite continued the second half much the same way as they ended the first with strong defence from Ethan Bowley, Haydon Naycor and Bailey Bamforth. Refs man of the match scrum half Jack Hague combined well with stand off Tommy Maclaren and loose forward Niall Owen as the home side launched a series of attacks looking for that weakness in the Greetland defence that would bring home the points. For all their pressure, they could not break the deadlock and as the game was looking like a draw man of the match William England broke through a tired Greetland defence. The fullback received the ball deep inside his own half and had the legs to burn off his opposite  number to score under the sticks with Jack Hague converting. Greetland tried in vein to level but were unable to do so and overall a fair result and a treat of a match to watch for the spectators.    

Callum Dyson 1 Try

William England 1 Try

Jack Hague 1 Kick

Danny O'Brien 1 Kick

Under Performing Slaithwaite Thrashed At Underbank  

In probably the worst performance of the season Slaithwaite failed to make much of an impact on the game. It was Underbank who dominated in every area from start to finish. A brave performance from man of the match new boy Bailey Bamforth and good yards from refs man of the match Callum Dyson the only bright spots in an otherwise disappointing morning for the away side. Ryan Pickles, Jack Hague and Tommy Maclaren tried to cultivate moves in the middle of the park, but the weather conditions and home side defence proved just too big a hurdle for them to overcome. Quality play down the flanks enabled Underbank to score nine tries in a resounding victory that entertained the crowd. Callum Dyson scored Slaitwaite's only try half way through the second period to keep Slaithwaite's record of never being nilled alive.

Callum Dyson 1 Try

Jack Hague 1 Kick

Meltham's Challenge Melts Away In Slaithwaite Sun  

Slaithwaite soaked up early Meltham pressure in the first 10 minutes and then started applying their own. The first try came from a lovely flowing movement down the right hand side culminating in a dummy pass from the Slaithwaite scrum half. This resulted in an opening up of the Meltham defence with just enough room for him to squeeze through to touch down under the posts. Strong defence from Slaithwaite kept Meltham at bay, while offensively Slaithwaite began to dominate with varies moves being orchestrated by man of the match hooker Ryan Pickles, stand off Tommy Maclaren and scrum half Jack Hague.

Big powerful gains by forwards Callum Dyson, Alex Tait and Kieran Hanlon were the platform for the second try scored by refs man of the match William England. The  fullback breached the Meltham defence and with speed outpaced the advancing Meltham fullback to score in the corner.

Slaithwaite relaxed a little more in the second period and brought wingers Bailey Bamforth and Billy O'Riordan into the frame with some quick passing movement down the line, stretching the away sides defence. Strong performances from Niall O'Connor, Callum Stead and Niall Owen, who all had a hand in the two tries added in the second half. This effectively melted away any remaining Meltham hopes of victory, although Meltham kept working right to the end and scored a well deserved consolation try at the death to make the score a little more respectable.    

Jack Hague 2 Tries 1 Kick

William England 2 Tries 1 Kick

Cougars Caught Cold In Second Half  

A fine display from the home side in the first period kept a number of strong Slaithwaite attacks at bay. Indeed the first half was very much a defensive battle with both sides struggling to make an impact offensively, although Slaithwaite came the closest with a couple of half chances. At the break neither side had managed to register a single point as the game went in 0-0. The second half carried on in much the same way as the first with great defensive play from both sides being the most dominant feature. Quick play the ball by the visitors verses good passing movement down the line to the wingers by Keighley, each team looking for the gap that would break the deadlock. It was broken by an opportunistic run by refs man of the match scrum half Jack Hague who latched on to a quick play from man of the match and top tackler Ryan Pickles. Another was added after an interception from Ryan Pickles and a 50 metre run which saw him just caught short of the line. Again quick play of the ball from the hooker allowed fullback William England to go over with relative ease. The points were sealed with a final try from Jack Hague in the dying seconds of the game. 

A tough and entertaining game to watch, despite the lack of tries on offer. 

Jack Hague 2 Tries

William England 1 Try

Newsome Nobble Slaithwaite  

Newsome started brightly and capitalised from a mistake from Slaithwaite to score the first of four tries in the first half. Slaithwaite's forwards failed to make any impact on the Newsome defence which coped with ease to keep Slaithwaite from getting off the mark. Good passing movement from Newsome saw them go over for their second and third and indeed it looked like the game had the makings of a very big score for the homeside who went in at the break 18 - 0 up. As is so often the case these days Slaithwaite came out a totally different side in the second half and it was them that applied the pressure with two quick tries. The first came from some very quick play of the ball which caught Newsome by suprise as man of the match tough tackling Callum Stead went over in the corner. The second from trickter master Jack Hague who jinked over under the post as Slaithwaite turned up the heat. Too little to late however, and just to add insult to injury, as Slaithwaite pushed for a draw Newsome scored in the dying seconds. A very good game to watch played in good spirit and a fair result in the end. 

Callum Stead 1 Try 1 Kick

Jack Hague 1 Try 1 Kick

Slaithwaite Saracens Magnificent Seven 

A huge Siddal side looked too strong for Slaithwaite to handle and so it proved to be the case in the first half. It was very much a case of David verses Goliath, power verses speed of play. Time and time again only last ditch tackles kept the home side out as they launched attack after attack down the middle of the park. Half time came as a big relief for Saracens who although trailing by six, could have gone in many more points behind. Captain Danny O'Brien used the break to reorganise a rapidly depleated side through injury in this fair but hard fought contest. This proved to be effective as the balance of the match began to shift soon after the restart. As the big Siddal props tired. so Slaithwaite grew stronger with refs man of the match Callum Dyson busting through to score his second try of the match. Man of the match hooker Ryan Pickles added another with 10 minutes to go as Slaithwaite began to take control. Strong tackling from Callum Stead, Tommy Maclaren and Jack Hague who all chipped in with a try a piece to put the game beyond Siddal's reach.    

Callum Dyson 2 Tries 1 Kick

Tommy Maclaren 1 Try

Danny O'Brien 1 Try 2 Kicks

Jack Hague 1 Try 2 Kicks

Callum Stead 1 Try 1 Kick

Slaithwaite Steal Points with Last Gasp Try 

Halifax came out of the blocks quickly and after a few hard fought exchanges with Slaithwaite took the lead. Slaithwaite struggled throughout the first half to compete in almost every department with the home side, who's passing in particular at times was of the highest quality. Only an inspirational kick from hooker Ryan Pickles on the stroke of halftime that lead to a fingertip debut touchdown try from man of the match Danny O'Brien,  kept the visitors in touch at 20 - 12. The second half continued in much the same way as the first with the home side dominating for long periods. It was perhaps their undoing that they began to relax believing the game was won with 10 minutes to go. This seemed to be the shot to the system that jolted the late Slaithwaite charge lead by ref's man of the match Jack Hague. He began to weave his magic in the middle of the park, supplying ball to his forwards who opened up the Halifax defence 3 times in quick succession. Suddenly with three minutes to go it was Slaithwaite who found themselves in the lead for the first time. With time running out Halifax scored with what everybody thought was the last attack of the game to once again get their noses in front. In the dying seconds however it was not to be Halifax's day as Danny O'Brien sealed the points with a try straight from the restart by battering his way through a tired Halifax defence. He then duly converted his kick to take the points. A thrilling game from start to finish which perhaps saw the better side edged out in the end.      

Callum Dyson 2 Tries

Ryan Pickles 1 Kick

Danny O'Brien 2 Tries 1 Kick

Niall Owen 1 Try

Jack Hague 1 Kick

William England 1 Try 

A much improved Greetland team put the young Saracens to the sword in an energetic encounter.

First blood went to the home side with some strong running and effective passing moves saw them go over in the corner.

Slaithwaite were back on level terms soon after. Big Prop Callum Dyson powering his way around and thru the Greetland defence for an excellent try.

This galvanised the Saracens and for the rest of the half they defended stoutly forcing many turnovers. Great leadership in the line from captain Keiron Hanlon was backed up with tenacious tackling all round, especially from Ryan Pickles, Niall O'Connor and Man of the Match Niall Owen.

But the work was to no avail as a neat side step split the defence and Greetland touched down to score in the very last action of the half.

Recovering from illness, prop Alex Tait came on at the start of the 2nd half and immediately caused problems in the Greetland defence with strong drives right thru the centre but their well drilled pack held firm. Ref's Man of the match Tommy Maclaren continually probed with kicks and runs but a lack of discipline from the rest of the line meant opportunities were not taken.

Greetland, on the other hand, defended strongly, moved the ball well, backed up their runners and took their opportunities when the Saracens line broke, running in 3 more unanswered tries.

A disappointing defeat showed some failings in the Saracens game especially after last weeks humbling of Underbank, but was still enjoyable to watch.

Scorer

Callum Dyson 1 try

Under Strength Slaithwaite Overpower Underbank 

A Slaithwaite side missing several key players struggled to compete with a strong Underbank outfit that played the ball with confidence and accuracy during the first half. It was however the home side that struck first against the run of play with a carefully crafted move down the right hand side of the pitch culminating in prop Alex Tait scoring in the corner. This seemed to somehow rally the away side who scored two tries in quick succession to take the lead. With half time looming, a powerful run by ref's man of the match Callum Dyson restored the lead 10-8 to Slaithwaite with his debut try, again against the run of play. Good performances from the new boys Billy O'Riordan, Danny O'Brien, Bailey Bamforth and Haydan Naycor provided the backbone to a second half performance defence that thwarted every Underbank attack. Strong running from prop Kieran Hanlon and good link up play from second rowers Niall O'Connor and Connor Liversey provided the platform for scrum half Niall Owen to thread an excellent pass through to stand off Tommy Maclaren to score the first of his two tries that finally broke Underbank's resolve. Stand in fullback and man of the match Ryan Pickles mopped any Underbank breakaways throughout the game whilst also providing welcome yardage by driving forward whenever Slaithwaite needed to get out from under their own sticks. A full length try from Tommy Maclaren late on rounded off a very entertaining game. 

Tommy Maclaren 2 Trys

Callum Dyson 1 Try

Alex Tait 1 try

Ryan Pickles 1 Kick

Danny O'Brien 1 Kick

Ryan Picles 1 Kick 

A Key Victory For Slaithwaite Saracens

A tough opening spell saw deadlock for the first 10 minutes of the game with both sides trying to exert dominence over the other. A fine grubber kick from the Slaithwaite scum half Jack Hague caused panic in the Keighley defence which allowed winger Ethan Bowley to pounce on a loose ball to score his first try of the season. This seemed to settle the home side's nerves whilst Keighley began to loose theirs. Powerful runs from the big Slaithwaite prop man of the match Callum Dyson who was unlucky not to get over on several occasions kept Keighley in their own half. A quick play of the ball from hooker Ryan Pickles who combined well all day with refs man of the match Alex Tait enabled the prop to score the first of his three tries. By half time the game was effectively over with Slaithwaite a comfortable 18 - 0. Keighley scored their one and only try just after the break with a fantastic catch from the kick off which saw the Keighley full back run the entire length of the pitch to score the best try of the game. Any hopes of a fightback were firmly put to bed with two tries from stand off Tommy Maclaren and one a piece for fullback William England and Jack Hague. Good performances from Connor Liversey in his first game of the season and Kieran Hanlon who worked hard throughout the game.

Jack Hague 1 Try 1 Kick

Alex Tait 3 Tries

Tommy Maclaren 2 Trys

William England 1 Try 1 Kick

Ryan Pickles 1 Kick

Ethan Bowley 1 Try

Newsome Panthers came out of the blocks quickly and never looked troubled by a lack lustre Slaithwaite performance. Time and time again the two big Newsome props made good yards as the Slaithwaite defence struggled to make decent tackles. By the break Newsome were 12 - 6 up and stretched their lead with another try early in the second half that spelt game over for the visitors. Good performances by new boys man of the match Billy O'Riordan and Bailey Bamforth who tried in vein to stop the Newsome attacks. A bright spot for Slaithwaite was the passing interaction between scrum half Jack Hague, prop Alex Tait and refs man of the match stand off Tommy Maclaren. The latter releasing second rower Niall O'Connor for his first try of the season.

Jack Hague 2 Tries

Alex Tait 1 Try  1 Kick

Callum Stead 1 Kick

Niall O'Connor 1 Kick

Big Earl Crabtree was treated to an early bird feast as he watched this pulsating under 11's contest. Siddal struck first with a couple of strong sets of sixes which culminated in a powerful drive over the line. Indeed it was very much a clash of two different styles of play. The quick and tricky agile pace of the small Slaithwaite side verses the slow methodical mighty passing movement demonstrated by Siddal. Slaitwaite's prop man of the match Alex Tait scored twice for Slaithwaite to take a short kept lead with two almost identical tries which saw him some how skip through the heart of the Siddal defence to touch down under the posts. Two individual moments of brilliance that kept Slaithwaite in the game. Predictably Siddal hid back with a lovely flowing passing movement which saw one of their props again power over to equal the match 10 - 10 at half time. Slaitwaite came out fighting in the second half with two tries from ref’s man of the match and captain Tommy Maclaren whose rallying cries kept the Slaitwaite defence on their toes as they were battered by an almost constant barrage of Siddal attacks. 'I could hear him from half a mile away' said a local resident 'But it was OK, there was no bad language'. Tommy Maclaren then turned up the heat by scoring two tries of his own to put Slaithwaite in a commanding position for the first time in the game. Energetic and committed tackling from second rower Niall O'Connor throughout the game stopped Siddal in their tracks time and time again. A Further try from Alex Tait sealed the game and although Siddal hit back at the death, it was too little too late. Earl Crabtree spoke to the Slaithwaite team afterwards and said 'It was your speed of play that killed off Siddal today.' 'Whist an entertaining game, the standards and skill levels are very high in this village.'      

Slaithwaite Points

Alex tait 3 Tries

Tommy Maclaren 2 Tries

Ryan Pickles 1 Kick

Callum Stead 1 Kick