YST dream over
Aire made an early exit from the Yorkshire Silver Trophy at Old Mods on Saturday but there were positives to be had and negatives to be learnt from the game.
Both defences were excellent at times and a good afternoons entertainment was provided. Aire need to learn to play to their strengths, rucking, mauling and scrummaging, improve their line-outs and create more sustained periods of pressure instead of kicking the ball to their opponents.
An evenly contested first half saw the spectators have to wait until the thirty fifth minute for the first points to be scored. Aire dropped the ball under pressure in their own half, Mods scoring from the mistake. The attempted conversion was charged down by prop Gareth Poole – this must be a first!. Good play by Poole on the verge of half time saw scrum half Ollie Catherall provide quick ball to Mark Howorth who crashed over for a try converted by Mark Druce.
Aire had a 7-5 lead at half time but would this be enough with Mods playing down the hill in the second half. Starting well Aire provided the early pressure and were rewarded when back rower Chris Blackshaw went over for a try converted by Druce. The next fifteen minutes were all Mods and Aire unable to work their way up the slope and conceded two penalties and a converted try to give the home team an 18-14 lead as the game entered its last quarter. The score stayed this way until the last minutes of the game when a converted try sealed the victory for the home team.
Aire travel to Bramley in the league next Saturday.