Yatton vs Taunton

19 6

Yatton Scorers - Tries Walters.Pens. T Hill 2, Drop Goal Shorney

‘Brillant Display ends YRFC’s 40^th Season’.

Yatton 1st XV had a difficult baptism to the start of this their first season in South West Two (W).

Days before the start of the season Bridgwater and Albion from the National Three Division enticed the services of Yatton’s most promising young player No 10 Sam Osborne. Sam was trained by Yatton coaches’ throughout from 6 years old. He quickly become Bridgwater’s best newcomer and the seasons highest try scorer.

Meanwhile a reshuffled Yatton XV faced top of the new league opponents within the first couple of weeks and lost the services of key players through injury. But youngsters were given their chance, old players recalled and the team survived. In this the clubs 40^th Year the village/family atmosphere is as strong as it has ever been.

Yatton’s comprehensive defeat of a skilled and bulky Taunton side retained their qualification to play in South West Two (West) a second season.

Yatton were heralded out onto the pitch by a Cheerleading demonstration from the Yatton Ladies team. Full back Tony Hill’s penalty conversion for Yatton in the first two minutes was matched by Matt Ayres nine minutes later.

Determined Yatton then pinned the visitors within their own half for the remainder of the quarter and came away with another penalty three points.

As the tough visitors reformed, it was Yatton’s defence which became tested, but at 35 minutes their visit up the left wing saw the classic try of the match.

No. 10 Jon Shorney, cross kicked high across the field for wing Alan Walters to catch and scamper over, touching down.

Hill put the icing on the cake by converting from far out wide, delighting the horde of home side supporters.

Hill’s penalty deep into first half injury time gave the home side a platform of 16-3 at the turn-around whistle.

3^rd in the league Taunton found it increasingly difficult to live with Yatton’s cohesion in open play, they had not travelled to Yatton to lose, no quarter was given and concerned Africaans accents were heard among the visiting side. As the game swung from end to end, Jon Martin’s penalty in front of the post, for the visitors, gave them some hope at 60 minutes.

However, it was Yatton’s fitness and growing confidence which held them secure with timely tackles, some desperately last minute.

Shorney, sealed the win for the village boys with his close-quarter drop goal during the 14 minutes of second half injury time and the Yatton home-grown 1st XV finished the season only two points behind local ‘senior’ side Clevedon.