Glossop 1st XV…35 Sleaford 1st XV…0
Glossop strolled to their fourth win in five games on Saturday against a stubborn Sleaford outfit. With a whistle happy referee and numerous lengthy stoppages for injury the game lacked any kind cohesion. It was the Glossop backline who took the initiative; with what must have been Horbatchewskyj’s first touch of the ball he handed off the first would be tackler and subsequently the second, third and fourth to sprint in after two minutes.
Sleaford had a solid scrum and they used the wheel effectively as they tried to spring an attack down Glossop’s nine-ten channel. Williams and Brammer held off the opposition back row, tackling fiercely. It was from a good set piece by Glossop’s pack that Pickerell worked the ball expertly to Murphy cutting in off his wing, his angled run blasted through as he finished in style. The conversion was slotted and Glossop led by 14 points to nil. The rest of the first half was disrupted frequently by injuries and, it seemed, persistent Glossop infringements. Sleaford could not take full advantage of the referees decisions and their only period of pressure in the game saw them leave Glossop’s half with a missed penalty opportunity.
The somewhat stop-start nature of the game continued in the second half but this time Glossop’s pack were in no mood to mess around. Glossop gained a scrum put in five metres out, the front five dug in and drove Sleaford backwards, number eight Clark picked up and went over for Glossop’s third. The next Glossop try also came off the back of a strong scrum. This time it was Cassell who reaped the rewards, Clark popped it up to the powerful winger to see him smash through two tackles and score a brilliantly worked try. The game then lulled once again into a series of stoppages and scrappy play, with both sides turning ball over. The final act worth note was from the man who had got Glossop off to the perfect start. Good handling all round gave Pickerell the chance to work a play out wide, with all Glossop players marked up he slid a superb grubber through the Sleaford defence for Horbatchewskyj to scoop up off the deck and stretch out for his second of the day. He capped a man of the match performance by taking the difficult conversion attempt with ease.
Glossop have now secured eight points out of a possible ten since Christmas putting them seventh in the league with a game in hand over those around them. The targeted fifth place finish is more than achievable.
Glossop strolled to their fourth win in five games on Saturday against a stubborn Sleaford outfit. With a whistle happy referee and numerous lengthy stoppages for injury the game lacked any kind cohesion. It was the Glossop backline who took the initiative; with what must have been Horbatchewskyj’s first touch of the ball he handed off the first would be tackler and subsequently the second, third and fourth to sprint in after two minutes.
Sleaford had a solid scrum and they used the wheel effectively as they tried to spring an attack down Glossop’s nine-ten channel. Williams and Brammer held off the opposition back row, tackling fiercely. It was from a good set piece by Glossop’s pack that Pickerell worked the ball expertly to Murphy cutting in off his wing, his angled run blasted through as he finished in style. The conversion was slotted and Glossop led by 14 points to nil. The rest of the first half was disrupted frequently by injuries and, it seemed, persistent Glossop infringements. Sleaford could not take full advantage of the referees decisions and their only period of pressure in the game saw them leave Glossop’s half with a missed penalty opportunity.
The somewhat stop-start nature of the game continued in the second half but this time Glossop’s pack were in no mood to mess around. Glossop gained a scrum put in five metres out, the front five dug in and drove Sleaford backwards, number eight Clark picked up and went over for Glossop’s third. The next Glossop try also came off the back of a strong scrum. This time it was Cassell who reaped the rewards, Clark popped it up to the powerful winger to see him smash through two tackles and score a brilliantly worked try. The game then lulled once again into a series of stoppages and scrappy play, with both sides turning ball over. The final act worth note was from the man who had got Glossop off to the perfect start. Good handling all round gave Pickerell the chance to work a play out wide, with all Glossop players marked up he slid a superb grubber through the Sleaford defence for Horbatchewskyj to scoop up off the deck and stretch out for his second of the day. He capped a man of the match performance by taking the difficult conversion attempt with ease.
Glossop have now secured eight points out of a possible ten since Christmas putting them seventh in the league with a game in hand over those around them. The targeted fifth place finish is more than achievable.