Sat 30 Nov 2024, 14:15
Old Crossleyans 24 – 26 Malton & Norton
Old Crossleyans scored a try in the dying moments, but sadly for the Broomfield men, the conversion struck the post and bounced wide, denying them the draw they deserved.
A superb second-half performance almost made up for a 19-point deficit at the break, but the early setback proved too much to overcome.
In the first half, Crocs were largely on the back foot, playing into the late November sunshine. They managed to enter Malton & Norton's 22-metre zone just twice, both attacks broke down. An injury to the impressive Finn Sutcliffe and a yellow card for Chris Vine disrupted their attacking rhythm further.
However, what must have been a fiery halftime talk sparked a dramatic turnaround.
The Crocs came out a completely different team in the second half. After some strong work by the pack, Harry Drennan powered over in the corner, giving Crocs a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately, the conversion attempt hit the post.
A subsequent surge from Crocs led to a yellow card for Malton & Norton, and Crocs made the most of the numerical advantage. Drennan grabbed his second try, bringing the score to 12-19 with just under 20 minutes to play.
Malton & Norton responded with a methodical drive down the field to secure their four-try bonus point, extending their lead. However, another yellow card for Malton & Norton allowed Crocs to strike back. Ellis Nuttall forced his way under the posts with four minutes remaining, further closing the gap.
Crocs fought until the very end, and the match concluded with a dramatic maul involving the entire pack, from which Drennan completed his hat trick with a try at the back. The final score was 24-26, with Crocs narrowly missing out on a well-deserved draw.
Director of rugby Jon Bake said about the loss "It was truly a game of two halves. In the first half, we weren’t in the game at all — we lacked intensity and desire. But in the second half, we found our rhythm. We began attacking through the 10 channel, made better progress over the gain line, and most importantly, we gained the self-belief to score some really quality tries."
