CLECKHEATON secured their first win of 2019 in style with a commending 47-14 demolition of Pocklington in North One East.
The visitors' pre-match preparation clearly paid off as they went on to put in probably their best performance of the season.
Paul Turner returned to the front row and Jack Bickerdike resumed at scrum-half after injury. Ollie Depledge moved to centre where he had an impressive game.
On a breezy day, Cleckheaton played with the wind and the slope in their favour in the first-half and opened the scoring on 17 minutes when Dale Breakwell struck a penalty goal from 35 metres out. #
At the restart Jack Seddon was taken out in the air and Pocklington flanker Sayer was shown a yellow card.
Breakwell’s trusty boot doubled Cleck’s lead to 6-0 on the half-hour mark.
The advantage was short lived, as Pocklington this time gained possession from the restart, although it appeared once more as if Seddon had been knocked of the ball in the air.
Pocklington’s forwards were not dwelling on that and rumbled up field before scrum-half Rees crashed over under the posts. The simple conversion gave Pock the lead.
As half-time approached, Cleck got their first try of the game, good work by skipper Matt Piper and Depledge put Danny Booth clear to score near the corner.
Breakwell added the goal from the touchline and at half-time Cleckheaton held a 13-7 lead.
The game took a a dramatic turn early in the second half when Pocklington’s Marcus Britland was dismissed for a stamping incident.
The resulting penalty was kicked by Breakwell and Cleck went 16-7 up.
A line-out and rolling maul, expertly controlled by Niall Jackson, took play to five metres from the Pocklington line, where first Bickerdike was held up and then with a second surge, Paul Turner plunged over the line for his first try of the season. Breakwell improved the score.
Mid-way through the second period Breakwell added to his points tally with his first try for Cleckheaton after good work by the pack. The same player converted bringing Cleck’s advantage to 30-7.
Pocklington got a consolation try on 68 minutes via lock forward Fothergill but Cleckheaton were not about to allow the home side any glimmer of hope.
Danny Booth went in for his 11th try of the season with a smart grubber kick which he regathered to crash over in the corner.
Breakwell added another penalty as the game drew into its last five minutes but Cleckheaton saved the best moment of the game until last.
Seddon gathered the ball from the restart and broke through the defensive line. He found Mikey Hayward who passed to Josh Plunkett in support, who in turn provided a return pass to Seddon. The No8 dived over the line to score.
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