Match Report Halifax Vandals V's Hornsea Sat 3rd Nov

Halifax Vandals 19 – 18 Hornsea

Halifax vandals won a hard thought game against a tough Hornsea side that defied their bottom of the league status to push the home side all the way. Vandals welcomed back a number of absentees from the previous game against wetherby and started the game confidently only to suffer a set back within the opening minutes when player coach Matt Farrar left the field with concussion. Farrars withdrawal led the way for stalwart Jon Isherwood to move from the back row to the center in a move that would ultimately prove decisive.

Hornsea pressed hard and look to spread the ball wide to their recently recruited back division fresh of the back of summer conference rugby league. Paul Knapping, Luke Sutcliffe and Isherwood stood firm though as the visitors enterprise was thwarted. Knapping then began to turn the tide in vandals favour has a launched a series of high kicks that bamboozled the visitors defence and ultimately led to 3 penalties that were confidently struck from distance by the ever reliable Jim Crowther. Hornsea replied just before halftime with a penalty to leave the scores at 9-3 at the break.

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first with Hornsea threatening without reward with the vandals defence again prominent in midfield and around the ruck in the shape of Danny Mitchell and Paul Jowett.
Knapping again took control and his deep kick put the vandals in good field position, the lineout was stolen and the home side looked to go wide but the play broke down. Just as the chance appeared to have gone to add to their score Jon Isherwood set of on a mazy run that saw him pass numerous defenders before rounding the fullback in style to score an individual try that the home crowd described as an 'ishy' classic. Crowther added the conversion and shortly after a penalty that put breathing space between the sides and looked to set the home side up for a comfortable win entering the final quarter. Hornsea, having other ideas responded well and two well taken tries saw the defect cut to four points, a further penalty from the visitors left the game on a knife edge at 19-18 but the home side held out for a victory that leaves them 5th in the table.