Sat 20 Sep 2025
Pocklington Weather the Storm to Edge Out Crocs
A tale of two halves at Broomfield saw Old Crossleyans’ promising start undone by a disciplined Pocklington side, with relentless rain dictating terms.
In their first home outing, the Crocs hosted an undefeated Pocklington team but were left frustrated by missed opportunities in a hard-fought 13-0 loss.
Despite the torrential downpour, both sides delivered a highly competitive contest. The Crocs showed their squad depth with several key changes, including Matthew Beswick leading as captain and a new half-back pairing of James Johnson and Jack Hammond.
The men in blue, gold, and white started brightest. They applied early pressure but saw a penalty chance sail wide and a kick to the corner fail to find its mark. The most promising move came from a dazzling run by Alex Thomson, who nearly sent Finbar Drennan clear, only for the final pass to go astray with the line begging.
Against the run of play, the visitors struck first with a penalty. After an unusual halt for an injured referee who bravely played on, Pocklington's pressure told just before halftime. A yellow card to Drennan preceded their powerful, ever-threatening No. 20 crashing over from a scrum. The converted try gave Pocklington a 0-13 lead at the interval—a harsh scoreline on the balance of play.
As the rain intensified, the second half became a war of attrition. Pocklington’s scrum grew dominant, shutting down Crocs' attacking platforms. Man of the Match Jacob Pollard was excellent at the breakdown, producing a try-saving turnover, while a powerful maul led by Raman Sembi was called back for an earlier infringement, summing up a frustrating afternoon.
Alex Thomson remained a constant threat, but the visitors' defence held firm in a scoreless second half.
Pocklington will be pleased with the win, but the Crocs can take plenty of positives from a performance that, with a kinder bounce of the ball, could have yielded a different result.
Given that their three opponents this season have just a single loss between them, and with key players to return, there is every reason for supporters to be confident that these spirited displays will soon translate into positive results.
