Match Report

Doncaster Festival

Ionians Alligators v Guisborough, Sheffield Tigers, Selby & York U12’s

27^th March 2011

G1 - Guisborough: Guisborough kicked off and the ball immediately went dead for an Alligator scrum and a chance for George Boynton to pass out wide to Michael Walker.

The Alligator’s were full of enthusiasm and pounded their way through Guisborough’s defence at every turn. The line passing was at its best and a beautiful wing pass to Charlie Webster enabled him to receive it perfectly and touch down the first try.

Guisborough fought well, trying desperately to gain possession, which they did after the Alligator’s knocked-on. Guisborough took the scrum and went into a maul but couldn’t prevent Oscar Cavil ripping the ball away. A quick off-load to James Millington and then out to George Boynton who kicked into touch for a Guisborough line-out.

The Alligator’s quickly gained a scrum deep into Guisborough’s half but after re-starting the scrum four times, the Alligator’s eventually lost the ball, giving Guisborough the advantage. The Alligator’s didn’t let Guisborough keep the ball for long before re-gaining possession and with a stunning array of passes from Michael Walker to Matty Gill to Charlie Webster and back over to the other wing for Ethan Canet-Baldwin to attempt a sprint for the try line. Unfortunately, despite their combined efforts, Ethan was brought down a little over half way, ending the first half 5-0 to the Alligator’s.

The Alligator’s kicked off the second half and immediately gave chase to intercept the ball. Charlie Cartmells’ effortless tackling eventually paid off as he gained possession and passed out to Ethan Canet-Baldwin who bolted across the try line and scored. Guisborough restarted with a kick flawlessly caught by James Millington who off-loaded just before getting tackled.

A scrum to the Alligator’s in their own half was quickly grabbed by Guisborough and instantly knocked-on giving the Alligator’s the advantage. The Alligator’s kick into Guisborough territory was returned and Finlay Hills positioned himself beautifully to receive the high ball before getting tackled.

Oscar Cavill’s steal of the ball enabled him to gain some good ground before passing to Jack Hatfield and over to Michael Walker.

The Alligator’s won a Guisborough line-out and as James Millington entered the maul, he was clearly seen desperately trying to prevent Guisborough from stealing.

As the last play was called, an Alligator scrum gave George Boynton the opportunity to take possession and kick into touch, ending the game 10-0 to the Alligator’s.

G2 - Sheffield Tigers: The Alligator’s kicked off and Sheffield’s biggest player made light work of catching it as he began charging forwards. James Millington rose to the challenge of bringing him down, which he did by lunging him into touch.

Sheffield were brilliant ball handlers and passed with such ease and accuracy that the Alligator’s had to work hard to gain possession. Charlie Webster made a great effort to keep hold of the ball and with help from James Millington, Sheffield worked equally as hard.

Charlie Cartmell’s brave attempt to bolt down the wing very nearly paid off but, alas, he was nudged into touch, giving Sheffield the line-out.

Sheffield were taking and winning line-outs with considerable ease and, although tackled by Michael Walker, safely delivered it across the pitch and over the white wash for their first try of the game.

James Millington’s courageous efforts to force his way through the ‘giants’ of Sheffield, using his muscles to prevent them from edging him into touch was inspirational to watch. James managed to off-load to Oscar Cavill who was ultimately taken into touch close on half time. With a successful line-out, Sheffield managed to cross the try line to make it 10-0 to them at half time.

As Sheffield got the second half going, Charlie Webster caught the ball and off-loaded to Michael Walker who kicked into Sheffield’s half, followed by a good chase and maul by the Alligator’s.

Charlie Webster continued to play a crucial part, even when Sheffield grabbed and dumped him into touch. Sheffield soon sailed through a chance opening, passed out wide and crossed the try line.

Ethan Canet-Baldwin made a great steal after chasing his man but an unfortunate knock into touch denied him what would have been a wonderful try. Charlie Cartmell also made a concentrated effort to clear several Sheffield players when an Alligator penalty went his way.

As an Alligator scrum collapsed, Jack Hatfield gained possession and tried to fight his way through, eventually kicking deep. Sheffield retaliated with a thunderously high kick, wonderfully caught by Finlay Hills at full-back.

Some great tackling by Ethan-Canet-Baldwin and Michael Walker close on the try line gave the Alligator’s a glimmer of hope and another good effort by Jack Hatfield to keep play up field an off-load to Michael that ensured Sheffield didn’t add to their try count.

G3 - Selby: The Alligator’s kicked off and Selby were quick to take the ball. Charlie Cartmell made a good effort to get down the wing and over the try line but was soon taken into touch for a Selby line-out. Oscar Cavil was quick to overpower Selby in the line-out and gain possession.

A penalty awarded to the Alligator’s soon gave Charlie Cartmell the chance to push through Selby’s defence and score the first try for the Alligator’s.

Finlay Hills once again showed that he was not afraid of the high ball and caught another high-flyer but unfortunately just stepped into touch, giving Selby the line-out.

An inspirational handling display that started with Oscar Cavil and made it way through several Alligator’s before a good drive by Jack Hatfield and an off-load to Oscar secured another try for the Alligator’s as Oscar also completed the move and charged over the try line.

A Selby penalty deep in Alligator territory was soon thwarted as the Alligator’s quickly overturned play and took control with considerable ease.

Close on half time, George Boynton very nearly secured another try for the Alligator’s but unfortunately knocked-on as he attempted a cunning little off-load to Oscar Cavil. The half time whistle then sounded, ending the first half 10-0 to the Alligator’s.

Selby got the second half going with a kick caught by Charlie Cartmell, who unfortunately knocked-on giving Selby the scrum.

The Alligator’s made every effort to keep play in Selby’s half and prevent them from gaining possession with some great ball work. A brilliant pass to Michael Walker secured the Alligator’s final try of the game as Michael weaved his way through the Selby defence and crossed the try line for touch-down number three.

The game soon ended with a scrum to the Alligator’s and a 15-0 win.

G4 - York (Semi-Final): The toughest game of the day and probably against the best prepared team in the festival. York kicked off with a well orchestrated kick, designed to optimise the chase. However, the Alligator’s quickly responded and wasted no time in making the tackle and entering the maul on the half way line.

York hit back with a good kick, well chased and well taken. They passed with complete accuracy to weave through the Alligator’s and glide over the try line to score.

After the re-start, York maintained the pressure as Jack Hatfield gave chase and tackled his man but could do little to stop the off-load. Michael Walker tried intercepting the new carrier but even Michael’s fast legs couldn’t reach the York try scorer as he crossed the line.

Mauling from the Alligator’s was at its best with James Millington gaining momentum, with the added force of Charlie Cartmell, before passing out to Oscar Cavill.

York’s next opportunity to score was thwarted close to the try line as Finlay Hills made the tackle and prevented a sure try by regaining possession and going down into a maul.

York stepped up the pressure on the Alligator’s in the dying minutes of the first half with two try’s in quick succession as they scrapped through weak openings to give a 20-0 half time lead.

The Alligator’s kicked off the second half and Michael Walker immediately followed it up with a great tackle to stop York dead. Although Michael stopped the player, the ball was soon off-loaded and York ran down the wing and scored. Michael gave chase and executed a brilliant try line tackle but just couldn’t prevent the inevitable grounding.

The Alligator’s got a slight break when a dropped ball close to the try line gave them a scrum and a chance to keep possession.

George Boynton, feeling the threat of York closing in, kicked high and into what he thought was relative safety until York got underneath the high ball and thundered back towards the try line and scored.

York weren’t the only ones able to receive high balls, as Matty Gill showed when he mastered catching one with considerable ease, taking it straight into the maul. Charlie Webster also proved that he too wasn’t exempt from the catching the high ball as he grabbed one heading over towards the touch line. He stopped the ball from going out of play really well but York overpowered him, lifting him clean off the ground and dumped him back down.

Just as the last play was given, Kyro Kelly, whose mauling is also becoming quite a welcome force, and Michael Walker tackled York and prevented them from notching any further try’s, ending the game 30-0 to York.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MAN OF THE MATCH: Charlie Cartmell for an exceptional performance. His devotion throughout the festival was like a breath of fresh air and, at a time when numbers were low, a very welcome and gratifying contribution that ultimately rewarded Charlie with a well deserved try against Sheffield. Charlies’ tackling was also a very pleasant and satisfying improvement and most certainly played a part in helping the Alligator’s make the semi-final stages of the tournament.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MATCH SUMMARY:

Results:

Alligators 10 - 0 Guisborough

Alligators 0 - 15 Sheffield Tigers

Alligators 15 - 0 Selby

(Semi-Final)

Alligators 0 - 30 York

Try Scorers:

Charlie Webster 1

Ethan Canet-Baldwin 1

Charlie Cartmell 1

Oscar Cavill 1

Michael Walker 1

Total Alligator Tries: 5

Conversions: None Taken

Attendance: 14/21 - (67%)

Away

Match Report

Ionians Alligators v Malton U12’s

20^th March 2011

The Alligators travelled to Bridlington for an expected game against the home side, but found that Malton would be the only team facing them today as Bridlington couldn’t assemble an U12’s side. The pitch allocation was also less than desirable, only half their usual size.

G1: Malton kicked off and soon gained possession when the Alligator’s failed to catch the ball. However, the Alligator’s soon regained control but knocked-on, giving Malton the first scrum. With the ball out, it was George Boynton who came to the rescue with a great tackle.

A good penalty kick from Michael Walker gave the Alligators a line-out just over half way and although it nudged play well up field, Malton soon took control and kicked back down field.

Malton were quick to win a scrum, but George Boynton was even quicker to steal the ball and pass out to Leon Caplin who made some good ground before getting tackled.

Out from an Alligator scrum, the ball made its way across to Jack Hatfield and then Jack Green-Morgan who bravely weaved his way through several Malton players to almost make the try line before losing the ball.

Some great passing by the Alligator’s eventually saw the ball land in the hands of James Millington, who fought well to claw his way through the maul to keep the ball moving. Eventually he broke free and crossed the line to log the first try. The game restarted with a Malton kick, brilliantly received by Jack Hatfield who immediately drove it forward.

Malton made some good passes, and a great pass down the line was only thwarted when Jack Hatfield and George Boynton intercepted the wing man.

The Alligator’s maul work was certainly showing signs of improvement as they manipulated the ball with considerable ease at times.

Malton very nearly made it to the try line just before half time with some great passing down the line and out for the wing-man to sprint down the right-hand side. Fortunately, Michael Walker was faster, and caught up the wing-man just in time and brought him crashing down, and with a dropped ball in the process. A scrum to the Alligator’s gave them a chance to get the ball out and kicked deep into Malton territory right on half time, ending the first half 7-0 to the Alligator’s.

The Alligator’s got the second half started, followed by an immediate charge forward by Malton and a brilliant tackle by George Boynton. Malton kept the pressure up by forcing their way through using their biggest player, who was then taken down by James Millington and Ian Shimmels.

A scrum close on the Alligator try line gave Jack Hatfield the opportunity to kick deep and allow James Millington to position himself perfectly to take the ball and barge his way through several Malton defenders to cross the try line for the second time.

A great drive by the Alligator’s ended with a knock-on and a scrum to Malton. A deep kick by Malton then landed neatly with Ethan Canet-Baldwin before Malton could make the tackle.

Malton again stepped up the pressure with a well placed ball to one of their fastest players closing in on the try line. Michael Walker and Finlay Hills quickly bolted their way across and brought him down before any damage could be done.

The Alligator’s made some great deep kicks to keep play in Malton’s half and when James Millington gained possession, a quick off-load to Leon Caplin, who struggled with several Malton players in his quest to retain possession and make it over the try line, very nearly paid off but Malton made the tackle and prevented the try.

Finlay Hills proved he could stand his own after catching some lovely high kicks, often with quick thinking off-loads as Malton closed in. Charlie Webster also made light of catching the odd ball or two as he patiently waited out on the wing for the loose ball to come his way. When it did, he caught it perfectly, quickly and accurately passing out.

The last play of the game came from an Alligator line-out in Malton territory. Malton gained possession and soon after, Charlie Cartmell lunged at the player and sent him into touch, ending the game 14-0 to the Alligators.

G2: The second game got under way after a dramatic change in the Malton squad. This time, the Alligator’s were going up against a tougher, more experienced side.

The Alligators’ kicked off and play concentrated around centre pitch for a while before a penalty to Malton moved it up field and gave them the first line-out. A sudden push from Malton edged closer to the try and eventually secured them the first try.

Although Ian Shimmels’ efforts to control a maul and get the ball out was exemplary, Malton still gained the upper hand, got possession and off-loaded to their biggest player who crashed through the Alligator defenders to cross the try line and score.

A Malton pass that went astray gave the Alligator’s a glimmer of hope, but after a successful reprisal, Malton again mastered the off-load and barged through to cross the try line.

Even with Malton notching up the try’s, the Alligator’s kept fighting back and with a great line pass by Malton thwarted by Jack Green-Morgan’s wonderful try-stopping tackle.

A breather came for the Alligator’s when Malton almost made it over the try line again but was prevented from scoring to give the Alligator’s a scrum. Malton’s final attempt to score before half time came when they received the ball and dropped it, giving the Alligator’s a half way line penalty before ending the first half 21-0 in favour of Malton.

Malton restarted the second half with a kick that sent the ball immediately out of play for an Alligator line-out. Malton won the line-out and nearly made a clean break for the try line but a knock-on gave the Alligator’s the advantage with a scrum awarded in their favour.

Malton soon gained a scrum and didn’t waste any time deploying the ball. They passed out well but the Alligator’s soon made the tackle before Malton regained possession and forced their way across the try line to score. The restart was chased well by Malton and tackled equally as well by the Alligator’s to stop another sure try.

The game had its fair share of quality kicks from both sides and when Malton won an Alligator scrum, they kicked deep and chased well, eventually gaining possession and passing with great accuracy that allowed them to cross the try line yet again.

The Alligator’s made a conscious effort to keep the ball away from Malton and passed almost as accurately as Malton. Ethan Canet-Baldwin did his utmost to stop his opponent, clinging on as if his life depended on it and, with the help of Jack Hatfield, the Malton player went down.

A maul well into Alligator territory ended with a scrum to the Alligator’s after becoming lifeless. Even with the Alligator’s winning the scrum, Malton soon regained control and with another push towards the try line, they crossed the white wash to score. Fortunately, the Alligator’s quickly pounced and prevented the grounding.

Malton gave a final burst of energy to claim another try and fought through the tiresome Alligator’s to cross the try line for the final time, ending the game 42-0 to Malton.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MAN OF THE MATCH: James Millington for another courageous and eventful performance that contributed towards the Alligator’s successful win during their first game. James’ presence on the pitch and his participation in the squad has become a major asset for the Alligator’s. His consistency is a real pleasure and one that is well worth the viewing.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MATCH SUMMARY:

Results:

Alligators 14 - 0 Malton

Alligators 0 - 42 Malton

Try Scorers:

James Millington 2

Total Alligator Tries: 2

Conversions:

Jack Hatfield 1

Michael Walker 1

Total Alligator Con’s: 2

Attendance:

16/21 - (86%)

Away (Bridlington)

Match Report

Ionians Alligators v Huddersfield U12’s

13^h March 2011

After three successful wins, today was something of a disappointment for the Alligator’s. However, some carefully executed tackles and ball manipulation certainly prevented a greater onslaught of tries.

The game started with a good kick that Huddersfield struggled to catch. The Alligator’s chased well and went straight into a maul. James Millington tried his best to force through Huddersfield’s defenders which showed promising signs of the Alligator’s breaking away.

A Huddersfield penalty, received rather hastily by Jack Hatfield, was quickly off-loaded to Jack Green-Morgan and over to Matty Gill who got shoved into touch close to the try line. Guy Whittaker came to the rescue, when a large Huddersfield player tried making a break for the try line, and Guy thrust his body around the player to bring him to the ground.

Huddersfield made good use of a line-out with a great catch to bolt down the wing and over the try line. Unfortunately, a double hand-off stopped the try being given and saved the Alligator’s an early deficit. The Alligator’s gave too many clumsy passes and misguided off-loads, allowing Huddersfield to win scrums and line-outs. However, not all passes and off-loads were disastrous. A George Boynton scrum pass to Guy Whittaker, which made its way across to Jack Green-Morgan with a successful off-load to Matty Gill on the wing, was brilliant and would have been spectacular try had Matty not been tackled.

Huddersfield were full of confidence and with a great pass across the pitch, they made it over the try line to score. A knock-on by the Alligator’s nearly gave Huddersfield a chance to sneak another quick try when they were awarded scrum. Michael Walker maintained the pressure and tackled ferociously to prevent Huddersfield from getting through again.

A pass from the scrum and out to Michael Walker went a little too far and he tried desperately to rectify the error and regain possession, quickly off-loading to Jack Hatfield. The Alligator’s seemed unable to keep hold of the ball and Huddersfield were quick to take advantage when a knock-on close to the Alligator try line gave them a scrum and a chance to claim another try, which came with relative ease.

When Huddersfield tried to make another clean break down the wing, Michael Walker quickly thwarted their attempts to get through and sent their player crashing into touch.

A penalised Alligator line-out, for not being straight, gave Huddersfield a choice, line-out or scrum. They took the scrum and kept possession for while, but Michael Walker soon pounced as the ball emerged and, with the help of Ian Shimmells’, the Huddersfield player collapsed in a heap under the weight crushing down on him.

Just before half time, Huddersfield made a final attempt to cross the line. Although Guy Whittaker tried desperately to stop them, Huddersfield broke free and made it over the line to make it 21-0 at half-time.

With the second half under way, a scuffle close to the Alligator try line nearly gave Huddersfield the chance of an early try but the ball went out of play for an unsuccessful Alligator line out. James Millington’s efforts to barge his way into a maul and prevent Huddersfield from off-loading was exceptional, as was George Boynton’s efforts to get his man into touch with a fantastic and forceful tackle.

Huddersfield continued to make every effort to get through the Alligator defence; with kicks being well received and delivered down the wing for the Alligator’s to defend. Another great tackle by Guy Whittaker prevented Huddersfield from getting through but didn’t stop the off-load and Michael Walker quickly intercepted and kicked it straight into touch.

Sam Howard bravely took on his opponent when the Alligator’s were in danger of another try against them. Having gained the ball, Sam passed out to Leon Caplin who retained possession until he was taken into touch close to his own try line.

A scrum pass that went astray fell into the hands of Huddersfield and although Guy Whittaker made a great tackle to stop them, the ball was off-loaded and Huddersfield got another try.

The ball eventually made its way ball back up field and into touch for an Alligator line-out. Although passed out well, a lapse in concentration allowed it to go loose and lost Alligator’s a chance to score.

The Alligator’s appeared to lack the required concentration needed to stay in the game and when Huddersfield controlled a maul close to the home try line, it was inevitable they would score after successfully breaking free of a maul and weaving over the try line. Soon after, the ball once again made its way into Alligator territory and a missed kick cost the Alligator’s dearly when Huddersfield bolted down the wing and crossed the try line again.

Although the Alligator’s executed some brilliant tackles and did their best to maintain possession, Huddersfield dominated the game. Even Leon Caplin’s superb grasp of the ball, after a pass from Guy Whittaker, was taken by Huddersfield and George Boynton’s dumping tackle to prevent Huddersfield from getting through didn’t prevent the ball from escaping and making its way over the try line.

As the final minutes approached and with the Alligator’s becoming fatigued, a forward pass gave them a glimmer of hope with a scrum. A late tackle on George Boynton didn’t stop him from off-loading to Jack Hatfield but after a few more wing passes, the ball fell into the hands of Huddersfield and the final play of the game was over, ending 50-0 to Huddersfield.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MAN OF THE MATCH: Michael Walker for a stunning tackling game that contributed towards the Alligator’s not being completely humiliated. Michael never gave up and carefully positioned himself to execute the perfect tackle that left Huddersfield dazed. His manoeuvrability around the pitch was outstanding and his confidence going into the tackles were second to none.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MATCH SUMMARY:

Results:

Alligators 0 - 50 Huddersfield

Try Scorers: - -

Total Alligator Tries: -

Conversions: - -

Total Alligator Con’s: -

Attendance: 18/22 - (82%) Home

Match Report

Ionians Alligators v Selby U12’s

6^th March 2011

The Alligators travelled to Selby today, for an anticipated tough game, but their enthusiastic approach and high self-esteem after beating Driffield last week would give them the confidence boost that would ultimately reap its rewards.

Selby got the game under way, with an immediate taking by Matty Gill who took the ball into a maul along the wing. A great pass by Jack Hatfield down the line and out to the wing landed once again with Matty, but it was slightly knocked-on, giving Selby the first scrum of the game close on the half way line. Almost straight after, a pass by Michael Walker from a maul strayed and made its way into Selby hands but was immediately knocked-on for an Alligator scrum.

Some good ball work by the Alligators seemed a little hasty at times, with a George Boynton pass to Michael Walker and over to Finlay Hills’ pass to Sam Howard, knocked-on first by Finlay for a Selby scrum. For the large part, the Alligators’ ball work was exemplary and when James Millington took possession in a tight maul, he wasn’t about to let Selby grab it, and forced his way through, barging across the try line to secure the first try of the day.

Selby soon gained possession and, for the first time, entered Alligator territory, threatening to score a try. Fortunately, Alligators’ Leon Caplin was on form and not about to let Selby penetrate the Alligator defence and gave a perfect tackle to stop them. The ball ended up on the foot of George Boynton who made sure it was safely kicked well back into Selby’s half and chased up to keep play at the opposing end.

A little knock-on by Jack Green-Morgan deep into Selby’s half gave Selby the scrum but the Alligator’s soon regained possession and Jack was quick in rectifying the error by giving a long wide pass out to wing man Matty Gill who took it down into a maul. A great off-load to James Millington and across to Charlie Cartmell looked like another try was imminent as Charlie made his way past several defenders before finally succumbing to the might of several Selby players.

An attempt by Selby to kick the ball deep into the Alligators’ half went clear into touch for an Alligator line-out. James Millington made light work of getting the ball away from Selby and began his unique and forceful barging technique to edge his way closer to the try line, eventually breaking free and crossing the line for his second try of the day.

A mindful effort was made by Guy Whittaker to keep the ball in play close on the touch line and just as Guy was edging closer towards the line, he managed a successful off-load to Jack Green-Morgan. Unfortunately, play was just too close to the touch line and a slight push by Selby sent Jack over for a Selby line-out.

Selby gained the upper hand when a loose ball was quickly taken and, with a brilliant dash down the wing, Selby’s only try of the game was given.

With the Alligators’ dominance of the game now threatened, George Boynton quickly gained possession and brought the ball sideways across the pitch and, trying desperately to find either an opening or a safe off-load, finally passed out to Michael Walker before getting tackled. Michael then looked quickly for his off-load, which went to Jack Hatfield who tried hard to reach the try line but was brought down before he could reach it and lost the ball.

With only moments to go before the half time whistle, Selby kicked deep into the Alligator’s half for Jack Hatfield to take and bring back to relative safety.

Finlay Hills showed no mercy as he got stuck in and, after receiving the ball out on the wing, tried in vain to bolt for the try line but was knocked hard into touch just yards from touchdown.

As the half time whistle sounded, the Alligators were exceedingly pleased with a 12-7 lead over Selby but remained fully aware that it would be hard to maintain a lead for the rest of the game.

Michael Walker got the second half under way and quickly gave chase to re-capture the ball. After successfully gaining possession, Michael passed out to Ethan Canet-Baldwin who made the dash along the wing, bringing the Alligator’s a little closer to the try line before getting tackled.

A cross pass gave Michael Walker the chance to weave through several Selby players and cross the line to make it 19-7 to the Alligators, after another successful conversion by Jack Hatfield.

A Selby kick saw Guy Whittaker make the catch and off-load for James Millington to push forward, giving the Alligator’s some good ground before passing out to Sam Howard who did pretty much the same before a Selby tackle brought him thumping to the ground.

The Alligator’s, although having a great game, did however drop a few balls, allowing Selby the benefit of repeated scrums. After a ‘double’ knock-on by the Alligator’s, Selby took the scrum and then knocked-on themselves, giving the Alligator’s their own scrum. A magnificent push by the Alligator’s gave James Millington the chance to break away, ball in hand, and charge over the try line for a wonderfully accomplished hat-trick that now gave the Alligators a 26-7 advantage.

Ethan Canet-Baldwin’s maul pass was a fine example of how to execute a maul and with the ball getting across the pitch and a little up field it went into touch for a Selby line-out. Soon after, a scrum awarded to Selby close on their try line was soon deployed and went into a scuffle of a maul to keep play concentrated in Selby’s half for a while.

The first penalty of the game, awarded to Selby, gave them a glimmer of hope and a chance to lessen the deficit, although there seemed little hope of them surpassing the Alligators’ hefty lead. They executed a great kick deep into the Alligator’s half but it was well stopped by Jack Hatfield who brought it back into the safety of Selby’s half.

The Alligator’s were passing with extreme accuracy and, although a brilliant line pass out to Ethan Canet-Baldwin on the wing resulted in him being forcibly taken into touch, it was a great display of team work by the Alligator’s nevertheless.

It was certainly another exciting game for the Alligator’s and their scrum work was a distinct improvement on previous games. Another forceful heave by the Alligator’s enabled Sam Howard to steal the ball and successfully make a clean break for the try line. With several Selby players trying to stop him, Sam escaped the futile attempts, ripping himself away from their clutches and eventually crossing the line to score the final try of the game.

A great kick and chase by Michael Walker was promptly returned when Selby did the same, with Matty Gill waiting to catch the ball for the quick off-load. Guy Whittaker played his part well to keep hold of the ball before passing back to Matty who was unfortunately tackled. Sam Howard and James Millington continued their efforts to cling onto the ball and were fully aware that only minutes of the game remained and all they had to do was maintain possession.

After a Selby line-out and with the last play of the game announced, the game was drawing to its conclusion with a well executed maul by Selby, although it did very little to prevent the Alligator’s from gaining possession and very nearly gave Leon Caplin the chance for a last minute try. Sadly his efforts didn’t pay off and he was tackled, ending the game with a comfortable 33-7 win for the Alligator’s.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MAN OF THE MATCH: James Millington for yet another fantastically motivated performance, not to mention the highly praised hat trick that came as a result of James’ persistence in the mauls. James is a magnificent pack leader and leads by example, often with amazing results. His commitment to the Alligators and the game of Rugby is abundantly clear, as is his quest for a triumphant season finale. A worthy candidate of this week’s ‘Man of the Match’, without doubt.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MATCH SUMMARY:

Results:

Alligators 33 - 7 Selby

Try Scorers:

James Millington 3

Michael Walker 1

Sam Howard 1

Total Alligator Tries: 5

Conversions:

Jack Hatfield 3

Michael Walker 1

Total Alligator Con’s: 4

Attendance:

16/22 - (73%)

Home