Aireborough finish 2016 on a high.

If I may, let me take your minds back 12 months. It’s the 19th December 2015, Aireborough have been narrowly beaten 30-25 away at Mods and sit third bottom of Division 3 – with just three wins and 18 points to show for their endeavours in the opening half of the season. It’s glum. Actually, let’s call a spade a spade – it feels sh*t! There is an air of resignation around the club – another flirt with relegation and maybe Aire have pushed their luck once too often this time.

Fast forward 12 months and it feels like a completely different club. Aireborough finish 2016 sitting fourth in Division 3, just four points behind Baildon in second place (with a game in hand), and a win percentage over the calendar year of 72% - up from 40% in 2015. To put that into perspective (and, granted, making a few wild assumptions) if the season were played in the 2016 calendar year, Aireborough would have ended up with the best part of 90 points (throwing in a few 4-try bonus points and losing bonus points) – not quite enough for promotion over the past few years but up there as serious challengers and the best points return since bonus points were introduced in 2010/11; even surpassing the excellent 2011/12 season during which Aireborough amassed 81 points and finished fourth.

I’ll leave Matt, Simon and others to fathom out the reason for this fantastic turnaround in Aireborough’s fortunes but it has been remarkable and there is a real ‘feel-good’ atmosphere both on and off the pitch at Aireborough at the moment with both adult teams doing well and the junior section thriving; with the excellent U16’s leading the way. Long may it continue!

Anyway… enough drivel. On with the match report!
Aireborough faced Harrogate Pythons in the final game of 2016, looking to do the double over them following the tight 28-18 victory earlier in the season at Fortress Nunroyd. A couple of late drop outs reduced the travelling wolf pack to 18, supported by a few hardy souls who made the long trip to Ripon as the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, home to the Pythons, was unavailable this week.

Aireborough, playing up a slight slope, took the game to Harrogate as the two teams sized each other up early on with some strong ball carrying and tackling. Aireborough’s defence was very good which set the foundations for the first half performance – the line speed was excellent, pressurising Harrogate receivers and resulting in a number of knock-ons and turnovers. Nick Holdsworth, playing at full back and fly half Ollie Catherall found both distance and grass with tactical kicks and the kick chase from the Wolf Pack was top-notch.

Harrogate were struggling to find any penetration against the wall of Maroon and Blue and Aireborough were soon in the ‘Gate ‘22m going through the phases. With space on either wing, scrum half Stuart Wilson flung the ball out to the right following a ruck in centre field and fast hands from the backs put makeshift winger Rob Johnson over in the corner – gracefully placing the ball down one-handed, like a pro, to give Aireborough a 0-5 lead after 15 minutes. As I was giving Rob a celebratory hug I caught a whiff of a Christian Dior scent – Rob had clearly been taking advantage of Pharmacy 2 U’s (http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk) excellent Fragrance prices and free delivery on orders over £40. Nick Holdsworth’s conversion attempt, however, did not smell good – flying wide of the posts. Anyone who saw the attempt will not be surprised to learn that Nick is still looking for a player sponsor (please contact nickjackson0@hotmail.co.uk for details)!

Aireborough were soon further ahead. Ill-discipline from Harrogate gave Nick Holdsworth the chance to kick for the corner and the resulting lineout was won by Richard Holmes at the tail of the line out. As the rolling maul gained momentum and trundled towards the ‘Gate try line, Holmes found himself at the back of it with ball in hand and spotting the try line, with eagle-like eyesight that can only come from professional eye-care at The Optical Shop: prescription glasses at great prices (http://www.opticaid.net/content.php?_p_=7 – tel: 0113 239 1400), dived over to register his second try in as many games. Nick Holdsworth did his best to keep Harrogate in the game by missing the conversion to keep Aireborough’s lead to 0-10.

It was an excellent opening 25 minutes from Aireborough – clinical in attack and strong in defence. It was going well. It was going too well…

Enter Thomas Copsey… Resident joker and owner of possibly the world’s worst tattoo, yet a clever man who is doing alright for himself in the banking sector. That was banking, by the way. Unable to count to 10 though it would seem and clearly let down by a comprehensive education at Benton Park School. Copsey failed to retreat 10 metres following a Harrogate penalty which was quickly taken by their scrum half. Another penalty was awarded by the referee, who, to everyone’s astonishment given the penalty was on the half-way line and there were numerous covering Aireborough defenders, showed Copsey a yellow card for cynical play.

The resulting penalty was kicked deep into the Aireborough ‘22m as Harrogate looked to set up a rolling maul of their own. Jonny Hiles, as he and Christopher Chapman did all day, disrupted the ‘Gate line out but with a cruel bounce, the knock back evaded Luke Exley and was pounced on by a ‘Gate forward. Diving for the line, he seemed to be held up by the covering Nick Holdsworth but the referee raised his arm and blew his whistle to signal for a rather controversial try – which was fortunately unconverted to avoided rubbing salt into the wound. With the lead cut to 5-10 and Aireborough both a man down and feeling rather aggrieved, Aireborough needed to show some grit and heart to avoid ruining their efforts of the opening 30 minutes.

Aireborough, to their credit, did just that – continuing to work hard and cover their mates and their efforts were rewarded with a Nick Holdsworth penalty toward the end of the half to increase the lead to 5-13 at the break.

HT: Harrogate Pythons 5 v Aireborough 13.

The second half started much the same as the first – with both sides running hard but being met with a solid defensive line. Martyn Booth and substitute Lewis Eastwood putting bodies on the line every time with some monster hits, swiftly followed by cries of “BOOM” and “Stay down!”

Harrogate were pressing hard, having plenty of possession in midfield but not making much in the way of inroads toward the Aireborough ‘22m.

“BOOM”

The hard running and big tackles were draining the players of both teams, finding it hard to run on a boggy pitch that was cutting up as the match wore on. Scrums were going down and needing to be reset and so were bodies and heads as the two teams slogged it out in the midfield. Harrogate had a couple of decent runs out wide on the few occasions it made it to their wingers but covering defence from Aireborough resulted in no score for the home side.

As the game entered the last 20 minutes, the tries started coming thick and fast. A Harrogate scrum in their ‘22m was fumbled by their number 8 after a counter shove from Aireborough and the mistake was pounced upon by flanker Philip Shopland-Reed (for player sponsorship opportunities please contact nickjackson0@hotmail.co.uk for details) to score under the sticks unopposed for his first try of the season. Nick Holdsworth added the extras to give Aireborough a 5-20 lead.

Harrogate’s response was swift and they wasted no time in reducing the deficit following some good phase play and recycling of the ball to force an overlap and go over in the corner. The conversion was missed but the Aireborough lead was reduced to 10-20 and, all of a sudden, Harrogate’s tail was up and they seemed to be in the ascendency.

Harrogate were soon in the Aireborough ‘22m again. Aireborough’s defence, communication and commitment were resolutely tested with a flurry of big carries from Harrogate’s forwards.

“BOOM”

The Aireborough defence was like a sponge, soaking up run after run and hit after hit.

“BOOM”

However, eventually, and with a slice of further good fortune, Harrogate did penetrate the Aireborough line out wide. The ball, seemingly knocked on by a Harrogate player whilst diving for the line, was dropped on by a supporting ‘Gate player for their third try. An excellent conversion from the wing reduced Aireborough’s lead to just three points, 17-20, and with five minutes to go, Aireborough seemed to be up against it. The momentum was with Harrogate and, if I’m being honest, it felt slightly inevitable how it would end.

This time last year, in this position, we all know what would have happened.

But Aireborough are different this year and held firm against a resurgent Harrogate. Frustration began to creep into the ‘Gate game and they lost a second row forward to the sin bin following a no arms charge into a ruck. Aireborough played smart, using their numerical advantage and kick chase to hem Harrogate into their half and the result was finally secured in the last minute by a surging run from Christopher Chapman, handing off two covering defenders and giving a third a piggy bag whilst crashing over the line. You couldn’t have designed a more fitting end to a gladiatorial battle if you tried – however, saying that, 2 to 3D Design (http://www.2to3ddesign.co.uk/) are experts in offering the complete design software using state of the art 3D CAD software to create total solutions – so they most probably could have designed a more fitting end. But no one else could have. Nick Holdsworth added the additional points from in front of the posts and the match was shortly over following the restart from Harrogate.

HT: Harrogate Pythons 17 v Aireborough 27.

Man of the Match
As per last week, there were a number of outstanding performances. The forwards were excellent; nicking ball, disrupting play and generally being everywhere and handing out some serious punishment to the Harrogate runners. “BOOM”. The backs were clinical when required and nullified the Harrogate speed men out wide; with Stuart Wilson and Ollie Catherall running the show from the half back positions. However, birthday boy on Tuesday and with a second try in two weeks – it’s Richard Holmes (quell surprise I hear you cry!).

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