Dales Scoop Council Cup

SOURCE: www.sporthull.co.uk


Bransholme Dales 33-20 Norland Sharks

BRANSHOLME Dales completed a cup double this season after producing a dominant display to beat Norland Sharks at Craven Park.

The north Hull team, inspired by man of the match Craig Skelton, raced in for six tries to see off their Hull & District League Premier Division rivals and lift the prestigious GMB Union Council Cup.

Craig Cook and Andy Moody's side ran hard and straight at the line all night and possessed far more penetration throughout as they won their second cup trophy of the campaign, having won the BOCM Cup on Boxing Day by beating Parkers.

With Skelton pulling the strings at half-back and producing a superb game of kicking out of hand, this year's Premier Division champions Norland struggled to impose themselves.

This did not appear to be the case early on, though, as the Sharks quickly got onto the front foot.

But a series of injury stoppages, including a nasty blow to the face of Dales' Scott Perkins, slowed the tempo of the game early on and after a nervy start by both sides it took 20 minutes for the first score to materialise.

With Danny Stewart and Lee Brayshaw running with great purpose, Dales got within striking distance for Skelton to tunnel his way over, before converting himself.

By this point, Skelton was helping his side win the territorial battle thanks to some clever angled kicks in behind the defence to push his side forward.

From one up and under to the right, Norland fumbled and from the resulting scrum the ball was played quickly along the line and wing Josh Davies ran around his marker to score in the corner for 10-0.

The most joy Norland were having was down their left, although each time they got into a good position the final pass would let them down.

But two minutes before the break, wing Liam Storey got free down the left to make good yards and when the ball was sent from one side back to the other, it was Storey who took advantage of an overlap to score in the corner for 10-4 at half time.

With the game in the balance, Dales came out full of intent after the interval and raced into a 29-4 lead by the hour mark.

Props Chris Rhodes and Lee Stewart were sharing the work load out well in spells on and off the field and it was their hard yards which set the tone.

Bransholme's first try came when a move looked to have died when the ball went to ground, only for Mike Beecher to scoop up the loose ball and as the defence rushed out, he picked his gap to dart at an angle to the line.

Soon after, Dales squared up the Norland line and a deft kick over the top by Dave Paul allowed Skelton to gather and pop a pass to the supporting Dale Clemitshaw to have the easiest of tasks to go under the posts.

Skelton then sunk a drop goal before Danny and Lee Stewart broke through the line with relative ease down the middle and after playing a lovely one-two with each other, it was Lee to go under the sticks.

From here, Norland launched a mini comeback, inspired by the good work of second row Danny Flintoft on the left.

Karl Gardiner was first to dive over, before wing Chris Whinn broke free from his own half minutes later and was then on hand later in the set to finish in the corner.

Dick McNeil sunk both conversions, the second a superb effort from the right touchline, to narrow the gap to 13 points – but just four minutes later the game was put to bed.

Dales skipper Alex Moody broke free down the right to get within five yards and as Norland committed numbers to that side, Lee Forth was the one to take advantage out wide on the left to go himself – this despite having a three-man overlap outside him.

Whinn bagged his second score of the night right at the death for Norland but it was not enough to deny Bransholme their second cup success of the campaign

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