We are now at (for those engaged in promotion and relegation battles) what is classed as the business end of the season. For us, this is no different: 6 games to go, with 30 points and a record points haul in recent history on offer for the club.

Yorkshire 3 this season has been unpredictable at best. There have been some surprise results, teams achieving much more than was expected (on paper) and others who have failed to live up to both their reputations and expectations. With that, may I take this opportunity to wish Old Otliensians the very best of luck in their quest for National Junior Vase glory.

Since my last view, Aireborough have had a bit of a stop start season, mainly due to the weather conditions which has resulted in many games being postponed. That said, the 1st XV have worked hard, ground out some hard-fought victories and simply blown some of our opposition away with an expansive yet organised style of play. Here is a quick round-up of how those games went.

6th January saw our first game back in action following a layoff of over a (calendar) month in league fixtures. This saw us going to Harrogate Pythons. A frustrating afternoon where uncharacteristic errors and a breakdown in our style of play meant that Harrogate came away with the spoils. Pythons 17 – 12 Aire.

The following week saw the high flying Old Otliensians travel a short distance to Nunroyd. Again, it was a scrappy affair and to be fair to our lads, the result didn’t reflect the effort displayed by the players on the pitch. A couple of moments of clinical finishing meant that Ensians ran away comfortable (on paper) winners with Aire unable to get a bonus point which wasn’t undeserved on the day. Aire 5 – 21 Ensians. Although disappointed by the result, I was pleased with the performance and knew we weren’t too far away from where we needed to be to turn those losses into wins.

Still hampered by absences and unavailability, we travelled to Castleford hoping to right the wrongs of previous weeks. A promising first half saw us leading and dominating all aspects of the game. The second half was a very different story with Aire’s penalty count going (in my opinion) through the roof. This coupled with a bit of bad luck (and officiating) meant that we were yet again on the wrong end of the result. Castleford 16 – 10 Aire.

Following the Castleford game, attendance at training increased and we had some good, focused sessions. All aiming to change our fortune and turning the Ls into Ws. One of our focuses for the next game was to repel the Leeds Modernians forward play, stopping their momentum in the forwards and exposing them in the backs. This direct focus worked well, and the players put in a great performance to run out comfortable winners. A big difference was the determination to hold on to and extend the lead that had been built in the first half. We came out of this winning comfortably and suddenly the mood changed from within. Aire 32 – 5 Mods.

As always, when we play well, I want more. I was hoping for this the following week when we travelled the short distance to Weetwood playing fields to face Leeds Medics and Dentists. I was not disappointed as we put in a complete performance (barring 5 mins towards the end of the game). Power and precision shone throughout. The boys were pumped up and never let LMD get any form of momentum. It could have been more, but a great bonus point win meant that we left there happy. LMD 8 – 33 Aire.

So, we now have 2 wins on the bounce however with yet more injuries we travelled to Hemsworth with a depleted squad (I even put myself on the bench if you want to gauge how depleted depleted was). In what can be described as a bitty performance, Aire’s moments of magic were the difference between the 2 sides. Great work both from inside our own half and within the red zone saw us beat Hemsworth in dramatic fashion (with them missing a penalty kick with the last play of the game). Hemsworth 18 – 19 Aire.

A week on and Skipton travelled to Nunroyd with hopes of overturning a tight encounter earlier in the season in which they lost 3 – 7. Aire turned up determined that this would not happen, determined to get a bonus point win and determined to carry on their ‘streak’. Having led, scoring 3 tries in the first half through some delightful rugby but still respecting the opposition, Aire set out to get that bonus point and did it in style scoring a further 7 tries. This was one of those games where everything the lads did turned into points. It was great to watch, and I imagine it was also great to play in. Aire 62 – 3 Skipton.

We followed the Skipton win with a hard-fought game against Sheffield Medics again at Nunroyd. Having lost to SHMEDS earlier on in the season we knew that this could be a real test of how far we have come since our encounter on 9th September. A tough game indeed however with the momentum and desire being something that had been on Aire’s side, we came out comfortably winning. On top of that, a proud moment for the club saw Jamie Sykes (a product of the junior setup) cross the whitewash for his first Senior try for the club. A good day all round. Aire 39 – 23 SHMEDS.

Now with 6 games to go, we find ourselves in a good league position, looking up the table rather than what is behind us. We have some tough ones coming up with away games at Stocksbridge, Wensleydale, Baildon and Northallerton. Our home games are against Knottingley and Hemsworth. There is nothing better than ending a season on a high and starting a season on the back of a good previous season.

As a coach, I feel that we can be a lot better, but I am pleased with the progress that we have shown throughout the season so far and hope that we can continue along this journey.

Thank you to all the players, coaches, officials, supporters and sponsors for their continued support of Aireborough. I hope that we see you again before the season is out.