Many lessons for Baildon to learn in Yorkshire Division Three defeat at Northallerton

BAILDON will hopefully have learnt many lessons from their fifth defeat in eight matches, such as being consistent in the set-piece, competing for opposition line-out ball, cutting out silly errors, not forcing passes, playing percentage rugby, taking chances in the opposition red zone and putting games to bed.

The visitors took the lead when Northallerton were offside around the fringes of the ruck, giving JJ O'Connell an easy shot at goal.

His second penalty was in front of the posts as well after Northallerton were off their feet in an attempt to secure turnover ball.

Guy Price was then held up short of the hosts' line but the visitors survived a scare when lock James Fox's mishit clearance was knocked on before O'Connell missed a shot at goal.

Baildon, who lost fly half Robbie Hill with a suspected fractured fibula, then had a third O'Connell penalty success after Northallerton failed to release a tackler, with O'Connell weaving and jinking before linking up with forwards Adam Hewitt and Price. 

But then Northallerton struck a major blow, scoring a converted try in first-half stoppage time with only their second attack to leave the interval score at 9-7 to the visitors.

However, Baildon bounced back at the start of the second half, with Luke Strauss hacking the ball half the length of the field to score for O'Connell to convert from the touchline. 

That score seemed to arouse Northallerton from their slumbers, and Baildon had hooker Matty Dixon sin-binned for putting a tackled player beyond the horizontal.

Northallerton took full advantage, kicking the penalty to the corner before executing a perfect catch and drive to score a converted try after winning a line-out that Baildon opted not to contest.

The visitors then blew an opportunity with an unsympathetic pass to Danny Pollard, and the home side took a 17-16 lead with a penalty, and added to that with another catch-and-drive try.

And they visitors were denied even a losing bonus point when Northallerton scored a late converted try to earn themselves a four-try bonus point.

Baildon remain second in the table but can be overtaken by the three clubs immediately below them, who all have a game in hand.