Saturday 4^th December 2004 (League Match)

Yatton v Cheltenham North

29 18

Yatton Scorers - Tries M Harris 2, D Silcock, C Harris Cons D Keating 3, Drop Goal D Keating

‘Harris Brothers impact’

Both sides traded attempted penalty conversions within the first five minutes, except that Yatton’s glanced back out off an upright and Cheltenham North’s flew straight.

North’s well drilled pack seemed to have the edge in the first quarter but the game turned against the run of play when Yatton’s wing Dan Silcock read an interception opportunity well within his own half and outpaced the oppositions defence to under the posts. Dave Keating converted.

Missed penalty conversions were a feature of the game for both sides during the remainder of the first half.

Less than two minutes into the second half the fullback for North Dan Thomas was allowed to cut through Yatton’s thin cover to cross over putting the visitors back into the lead by a slender 7-8.

Homeside supporters appreciated the impact of the Harris Brothers return from injury when Mike Harris collected from Keating’s break to cross over, again Keating converted.

Five minutes later Keating’s drop goal added some icing to the cake and Mike Harris’s second try came from Phil Morgan’s sprint down the wing and timely pass.

Yatton’s tails were up shortly after a North player was binned, Chris Harris supported Nic Garnham’s break to gallop through beneath the posts. Keating bringing the score to 29-8.

But North did not get where they are in this League by rolling over and late in the game they began to capitalise on their power in the pack.

Jason Hyde grounded the ball from a lineout Take and Drive for North and deep into injury time Andy McDonald broke through to make the final score representative.

This Saturday Yatton 1^st XV are on further League duties away to the Bath side Oldfield who are fresh from their recent league defeat of Yatton’s neighbours Nailsea Backwell.

NORTH HIT BY 20-MINUTE YATTON BLITZ (Gloucester Citizen Report)

10:30 - 06 December 2004

Cheltenham North, 8-7 ahead after 50 minutes, fell to their fourth defeat in six Western Counties North away games.

Yatton 29 Cheltenham North 18 When they had the one-point lead over lowly Yatton, the significant slope was in their favour and they looked the likely winners.

But they were undone by a 20-minute blitz during which Yatton scored 22 unanswered points.

The first half was a grinding affair with the North seeking to keep possession as they worked their way up the slope.

Their first foray into the Yatton 22, after 10 minutes, yielded a penalty which fly-half Scott Pollok kicked.

They continued to dominate territorially but were rocked by their first attempt to move the ball wide when a wild pass was intercepted by Yatton's left-wing, who cantered in for a try which was converted.

The North began to lose focus and concentration and for the rest of the half they were lucky not to concede more points.

Only a superb, try-saving tackle by left-wing Dave Aston prevented a second Yatton try before half-time.

North could not have wished for a better start to the second half. From a scrum in midfield, a set move led to full-back Danny Thomas scorching in for a try, which was not converted, to give North their 8-7 lead.

The next 20 minutes were comprehensively the North's worst of the season. They capitulated in front of a committed and rampant Yatton side.

Almost straight after Thomas' try, the North spurned a great chance of another try with a forward pass, and from the resultant scrummage, Yatton's fly-half engineered a try for his number eight. It was converted.

It was a huge turning point in the game and minutes later, a drop-goal extended Yatton's lead.

Another 12 points from two tries and a conversion were added as the North fell apart and allowed Yatton to dominate all areas of the game, both in the three-quarters and the forwards.

The North were clearly stunned and lacked composure as they sought to stem the tide.

They ended the game with some dignity because two late tries, neither converted, added a measure of respectability to the scoreline.

Hooker Jason Hyde was driven over from a forward drive after a five-metre line-out, for his first try for the club.

Late in the game, a break by Aston led to number eight Andy Macdonald scoring a third North try.

It was too little, too late and the win went to a side whose commitment was a huge lesson for the North players to absorb.