Harrogate 19 - Westoe 38
May
IT was as though Westoe just went out to enjoy themselves.
And why not? It has been an arduous nine-month slog in which they have won all but six of their 29 National 2 North games to bring them within a whisker of the runners-up spot and with it a play-off chance of promotion.
There seemed to be tacit acceptance that rivals Loughborough Students would thwart those hopes by beating sixth-bottom visitors Nuneaton - and so it turned out to be with a five-point 36-3 win.
So Gareth Nesbit’s men seemed to want to make hay in the early summer sunshine with perhaps rather too much gusto that produced eye-catching rugby but without reward.
It was the pack who brought no-nonsense realism to the game in the 21st minute with a lineout drive from outside the 22 that ended with prop Raymie Elliott touching down, fly half Mark Bedworth kicking the first of his four conversions.
And four minutes later it was Elliott on the score sheet again when he burst over after taking a long inch-perfect pass from Bedworth after pressure on the Harrogate line.
Both sides were keen to play a fast, open and entertaining game and on the half-hour came a humdinger of a try launched by another precision pass by Bedworth deep in his own territory.
It was snaffled by spring-heeled centre James Clark who battled his way to the half way line before off-loading to right winger Gareth Kerr who broke through three tackles and when finally brought down passed deftly to full back Scott Jordan to finish the job and put his side 19-0 ahead at the interval.
Harrogate resumed with vigour and suddenly found gaps in what had hitherto been an impregnable defence.
Within two minutes nimble scrum half Tom Bugge, throughout a thorn in Westoe’s side, had darted over under the posts and ten minutes later three missed tackles enabled fly half Rory Carmichael to go over - winger Rob Almond kicking his second conversion.
In between, and against the run of play, winger Tommy Banks intercepted inside his own half and nobody was able to catch him so stalling Harrogate’s resurgence.
Hooker Richie Thirkell was propelled over by a drive from a lineout to pretty well settle matters although home team hopes flickered again when replacement centre Peter Lucock found a gap in Westoe’s defence.
It was apt that player-coach Bedworth, who has contributed so much to the Dunes Adventure Island-sponsored Shieldsmen’s 23-victory success this campaign, should round things off with an injury time try.
A fitting finale, indeed, for professional commitments mean that he is unavailable for the last game of the season at Loughborough on Saturday.
Afterwards Andy Howells, the retiring director of rugby, said: “This was a fine high-tempo performance and if there was something of an end-of-season flourish it did reflect the spirit and flair this squad has shown throughout..”
　
