GUISBOROUGH'S game against Medicals beat the weather and conditions as both teams took to a heavy pitch. Kick off had been delayed to allow the opposition to field a full team, but the late arrival of some of their players did not affect their start to the game as they sprinted out of the blocks. Within minutes of the kick off Guisborough found themselves in an attacking position as they threw the ball along the backline. However, a misplaced pass was seized upon by Medicals and, with the home team wrong-footed, a free run to the left hand corner saw the first points of the day scored by the visitors. Pressing again from the re-start, Liam Corcoran broke from half-way before off-loading to Rob Leggott in the visitors’ 22. Rob Berriman was in support but the ball was knocked on to end a dangerous attack. Medicals hacked a loose ball through and a swift counter-attack saw the opposition kick the ball over the try-line, where a try was scored under the posts. The conversion stretched the visitors’ lead.

The Priorymen had been punished twice for a couple of costly mistakes, but were soon back in the game. Oli Muir progressed play into the Medicals’ 22 before being tackled. Recycled ball, though, went through the hands of Leggott and Michael Suthers, before Phil Shields dashed over to score wide on the left. Clark’s conversion was short and wide of the mark.

Shields was soon involved again as he broke from half-way and stormed into the opposition 22. Berriman and Robinson took play up to the whitewash, where a penalty was awarded to the home team. A quick-tap saw a ruck on the try-line, before Leggott dived over from close range. Clark added the conversion to bring the scores level. A spell of pressure by the opposition tested out the home defence close to their line. Good tackling kept Medicals from scoring and a final pass a few metres out flew into touch giving the home team a line-out and a chance to clear any danger.

Winning the set-piece, Clark punted the ball high and long down the midfield. A mix up by the Medicals’ backs allowed the ball to bounce. Mark Ferguson was quickest to react to the mistake and, on gathering, ran 65 metres unopposed to score under the posts. Clark added the extras. Medicals were soon back into Guisborough territory and, after being given a penalty, headed towards the try-line. Held up by some sound tackling again, Tony Conway eventually brought the first half to its end by kicking the ball off the field, with scoreboard reading: Guisborough 19 points, Medicals 12 points.

The opposition were soon on the attack in the second half and penned Guisborough back into their 22. A scrum to Guisborough was pushed back and turnover ball allowed Medicals to chip the ball over a static defence. Guisborough could not gather and the visitors profited as they collected the ball and crossed to score. The conversion levelled the scores again.

Two yellow cards in a short space of time were something of a setback for Guisborough. Clark was shown the first for a dangerous tackle. From the penalty, Medicals attacked and a kick through was about to be picked up by an opposition player before Leggott tackled him without the ball. A second card was shown and a penalty try was awarded, which took the visitors back into the lead.

Reduced to thirteen, Guisborough found a way to attack and a blistering break by Ferguson took him to the Medicals’ 10 metre line before he offloaded to Shields. The full-back had the pace to race clear and score. Clark was successful with the conversion. The home team thought they had scored again immediately from the re-start. Muir made ground before Oli Taggart and Robinson surged upfield. Clark’s kick was collected by Ferguson, who then popped a pass to Berriman. Diving over to score, the referee had spotted a forward pass and the try was disallowed.

As Guisborough returned to a full complement, Medicals suffered a blow when an injury forced one of their players off the field. Having no replacements available they had to finish the game one short. The home team pressed once more, forcing Medicals into rushing a kicked clearance. Shields gathered and ran deep into the opposition half. From a ruck Clark passed to Ferguson, who bolted over in the right hand corner to score. A topsy-turvy affair saw Guisborough regain the lead once more.

It was the opposition who finished the game strongly after a break was halted close to the Guisborough try-line. A series of scrums in favour of the visitors were disrupted by the hosts, before a kick to touch brought the game to its end with the scoreboard reading: Guisborough 31 points, Medicals 26 points.