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Scarboro' end Salem's home run
Bradford Salem 8 Scarborough 13 A gritty performance from a totally committed team saw Scarborough to a rare win at high-flying Bradford Salem who suffered their first home defeat of the season.
Looking to avenge a 35-22 reverse at Silver Royd back in September, skipper Nick Ingham's men took the game to the West Yorkshiremen from the start and nudged 3-0 ahead with only five minutes on the clock when hooker Matty Jones slotted a well-struck penalty after Salem were penalised for a high tackle.
Salem came storming back and laid siege to the visitors' line for fully 10 minutes. A series of catch-and-drives from attacking line-outs deep in the Scarborough 22 were constantly repulsed by a solid display from the forwards.
Bradford looked to attack around the fringes of the mauls but the visiting back row of Louis Karl, Chris Purdy and Chris Lee would have none of it.
Running out of options Salem recycled the ball infield but ran into a Scarborough midfield of Phil Stewart, Ollie Hillier and Diena Morete who blunted the attack and stole possession for hooker Jones to counter-ruck, and Stewart cleared the danger.
Although very early on, this massive defensive effort was almost certainly the turning point and if Salem had scored early the outcome could have been much different.
Having relieved the early pressure the visitors took control with their forwards bossing the driving mauls and set-scrums but struggling in the line-out against two massive Bradford second-rows.
Scarborough stretched their lead on the half hour with a try right out of the top drawer. The forwards secured possession at the breakdown on halfway and drove the ball up their right flank. Having sucked in the home defence, they moved the ball infield with swift hands through the backs for full-back Graeme Jeffrey to join the line at pace, side-step the Salem full-back and score between the uprights.
Scarborough did go close through wingers Rob Squires and Paul White following good work by Hillier and Morete late in the half but went to the break with a 10-0 lead to defend in the second half.
Salem looked to dent that lead early in the half with their fly-half Johnny Robinson kicking into the corners and looking to his big forwards to catch-and-drive.
The West Yorkshiremen reduced the arrears in the 49th minute when centre Jonathon Davies knocked over a penalty when a Scarborough hand was spotted in a ruck.
With only seven points in it at 10-3 an absorbing battle developed between two determined sides. For Scarborough, front-rowers Jason Lowde, Ian Williams and Jones made things very difficult for their opponents with some powerful driving mauls, aided by locks Matthew Else and skipper Nick Ingham. Behind them half-backs Simon Dixon and Stewart and a fine defensive backline smothered any attempt by Salem to move the ball wide.
Following an extended period of attacking line-outs, Salem were eventually rewarded for their efforts when number eight Johnny Luxton got the touch on a close-quarters forward effort. Davies missed the conversion and the home side trailed by two points.
With Tom Fish on for Lowde and Rob Sutton on for Lee the titanic struggled continued and Jones gave the men from Silver Royd some breathing space when he slotted a long-distance penalty from just inside the Bradford half for a 13-8 lead in the 73rd minute.
With a plethora of stoppages for injury, the second half stretched to fully 56 minutes during which Scarborough for the most part had to defend deep in their own 22 with heroes everywhere, led by flanker Louis Karl and Diena Morete who had his best game for the club.
In an outstanding team effort on the road every man played his part in a well-deserved victory.
Evening News man-of-the-match: Diena Morete
Scarborough: Jeffrey, Squires, Morete, Hillier, White, Stuart, Dixon; Lowde, Williams, Jones, Else, Ingham, Karl, Sutton, Lee.
Substitutes: Tom Fish (for Lowde 55mins) Rob Sutton (for Lee)
l The Vikings had a 29-0 win at Driffield, while the Norsemen ran out 29-0 victors against Hessle at Silver Royd.
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Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North east
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Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
