Oakham 1st XV….10 Glossop 1st XV….14
Glossops firsts haven’t played a league game for well over a month due to a combination of the weather conditions and the Christmas break so a little rustiness was to be expected. The long trip down to Rutland team Oakham was unforgiving to a bunch of players nursing many viruses and more than a few extra pounds.
The pre match talk was positive as Glossop talked of keeping the game tight in the first ten minutes hoping to frustrate an Oakham side low on confidence. The reality was that Oakhams youthful side were prepared to play and began exploit gaps in Glossops lacklustre defence. After a couple of solid lineouts Oakham had pushed Glossop back onto their own line. A quick tap penalty saw Oakhams lively number ten dive over from a metre out, the conversion put Glossop 7-0 down and in a state of shock.
It was obvious that the way back in to the game for Glossop was to exploit the extra size they possessed in the forwards. A series of well taken lineoouts by Dan Clark gave the Glossop pack the perfect platform from which to execute some devastating rolling mauls. With metres being gained Oakham could only reply by giving away penalties, Glossop opted to kick for the corners and drive from the lineouts. This pressure eventually told as good work from Adam Thompson brought Glossop to within a whisker of the try line, with Oakham sucked in the ball was spread wide for Richard Trinnick to blast through the would be tacklers to score by the posts, Horbatchewskyj added the extras and the game was tied at 7-7.
The rest of the half played out with Glossop having more of the ball and gaining further territory but it no further score was made. The final pass would go astray and Oakhams young backs were counter attacking extremely well. It was only a number of good tackles from Cassell and Horbatchewskyj that stopped Oakham breaking to score. At half time it was made clear by the watching coaches that Glossop needed to up their efforts and compete more fiercely at the breakdown.
As the second half got under way Glossop came out with renewed vigour, forcing Oakham into a mistake from the kick off and winning a scrum. Strong carrying by Murphy took the play well into Oakhams twenty two, a strong ruck saw the ball reach Horbatchewskyj who stepped through a packed defence he offloaded to the supporting Sales, who having almost crossed the line popped the ball up for Clark who touched down. With the following conversion made Glossop had made the perfect start to the second half and lead 7-14.
Rather than going from strength to strength Glossop then out themselves under pressure by making a string of mistakes. Missed tackles and a couple of dubious penalties let Oakham pull back three points, with the game poised finely at 10-14 fifteen minutes of panicky counter attacking rugby set in. Sean Cassell broke for Glossop inside his own half with five opposition players chasing him, the month long break seemed to have slowed him down and the chance came to nothing. Oakham could have won the game on more than one occasion. But for a big tackle from the covering wing, Harrison, the Rutland side would have taken a victory that they may have deserved. The game tailed off and Chris Sonsack booted the ball out of play for the final whistle.
Oakham to Glossop next weekend to play the return league fixture that should have been played in November. Glossop cannot afford to take their opponents so lightly this time and the points will put the Hargate Hill lads in solid league position.
Glossops firsts haven’t played a league game for well over a month due to a combination of the weather conditions and the Christmas break so a little rustiness was to be expected. The long trip down to Rutland team Oakham was unforgiving to a bunch of players nursing many viruses and more than a few extra pounds.
The pre match talk was positive as Glossop talked of keeping the game tight in the first ten minutes hoping to frustrate an Oakham side low on confidence. The reality was that Oakhams youthful side were prepared to play and began exploit gaps in Glossops lacklustre defence. After a couple of solid lineouts Oakham had pushed Glossop back onto their own line. A quick tap penalty saw Oakhams lively number ten dive over from a metre out, the conversion put Glossop 7-0 down and in a state of shock.
It was obvious that the way back in to the game for Glossop was to exploit the extra size they possessed in the forwards. A series of well taken lineoouts by Dan Clark gave the Glossop pack the perfect platform from which to execute some devastating rolling mauls. With metres being gained Oakham could only reply by giving away penalties, Glossop opted to kick for the corners and drive from the lineouts. This pressure eventually told as good work from Adam Thompson brought Glossop to within a whisker of the try line, with Oakham sucked in the ball was spread wide for Richard Trinnick to blast through the would be tacklers to score by the posts, Horbatchewskyj added the extras and the game was tied at 7-7.
The rest of the half played out with Glossop having more of the ball and gaining further territory but it no further score was made. The final pass would go astray and Oakhams young backs were counter attacking extremely well. It was only a number of good tackles from Cassell and Horbatchewskyj that stopped Oakham breaking to score. At half time it was made clear by the watching coaches that Glossop needed to up their efforts and compete more fiercely at the breakdown.
As the second half got under way Glossop came out with renewed vigour, forcing Oakham into a mistake from the kick off and winning a scrum. Strong carrying by Murphy took the play well into Oakhams twenty two, a strong ruck saw the ball reach Horbatchewskyj who stepped through a packed defence he offloaded to the supporting Sales, who having almost crossed the line popped the ball up for Clark who touched down. With the following conversion made Glossop had made the perfect start to the second half and lead 7-14.
Rather than going from strength to strength Glossop then out themselves under pressure by making a string of mistakes. Missed tackles and a couple of dubious penalties let Oakham pull back three points, with the game poised finely at 10-14 fifteen minutes of panicky counter attacking rugby set in. Sean Cassell broke for Glossop inside his own half with five opposition players chasing him, the month long break seemed to have slowed him down and the chance came to nothing. Oakham could have won the game on more than one occasion. But for a big tackle from the covering wing, Harrison, the Rutland side would have taken a victory that they may have deserved. The game tailed off and Chris Sonsack booted the ball out of play for the final whistle.
Oakham to Glossop next weekend to play the return league fixture that should have been played in November. Glossop cannot afford to take their opponents so lightly this time and the points will put the Hargate Hill lads in solid league position.