Old Crossleyans RUFC

Old Brodleians 22 – 21 Old Crossleyans 1XV

A superb first-half performance wasn't enough for Old Crossleyans, who were narrowly defeated 22-21 by local rivals Old Brodleians in a tightly-fought Halifax derby.

Despite being without influential captain Tom Metcalfe, the Crocs started with purpose and intensity. Chris Vine ably assumed captaincy duties, leading a side bolstered by the returning Seb Da Silva, James Hinchliffe, and Alex Thomson.

The visitors could scarcely have dreamed of a better start. With just two minutes on the clock, fly-half and Man of the Match Josh Hunt sold a deft dummy to slice through the Brods defensive line, scoring under the posts. James Johnson added the conversion for a swift 7-0 lead.

The early pressure continued. Excellent handling and ball movement almost sent James Johnson over in the corner, but the try was ruled out for a forward pass. The Crocs were not to be denied for long. Capitalising on handling errors from the hosts—a theme that persisted throughout the half—Matthew Beswick pounced on a loose ball and powered his way over the line. The conversion struck the upright, leaving the score at 12-0 after just ten minutes.

The Crocs' relentless pressure soon told again. Another Brods mistake nearly resulted in a second try for the opportunistic Beswick, but the play was brought back for an earlier infringement, resulting in a yellow card for the home side. Johnson duly slotted the resulting penalty to extend the lead to 0-15.

Brods eventually found their footing, working their way downfield to register their first points with a well-taken try. The Crocs responded immediately; a clever chip through from captain Chris Vine and a strong carry from Alex Thomson forced Brods into conceding a penalty for repeated high tackles, allowing Johnson to restore the fifteen-point margin with another successful kick. A try for Brods on the stroke of halftime brought the score to 12-18 at the break.

The second half began with more promise for the away team. Following a period of sustained phase play, the Crocs were awarded a penalty which Johnson converted to make it 12-21. However, the momentum began to shift. Brods responded with a penalty of their own to close the gap to 15-21.

The defining moment arrived in the 65th minute. The Brods pack secured a converted push-over try, edging the home side into the lead for the first time in the match at 22-21.

The Crocs threw everything into a late fightback, launching a series of attacks that brought them within metres of the Brods line. Yet, a resolute defence held firm. The final ten minutes saw the game's tempo slow considerably, frustrating Crossleyans' efforts to create a final scoring opportunity, and the hosts saw out the game to claim a hard-fought, single-point victory.

Despite the result, the Crocs will take heart from a strong opening display as they look to bounce back in next week's first home game of the season against Pocklington.