Yorkshire Vase second round: Halifax 25 Wibsey 3

WIBSEY, aided by their rugby league neighbours Wibsey Warriors, fielded one of their youngest ever sides in their 25-3 second-round Yorkshire Vase defeat at Halifax.

Manager Steve Brooke said: “It was a re-scheduled match after we couldn’t raise a side on the initial date, but we were again affected by unavailabilities, such as people going to the German markets, and were helped out by the rugby league club.

“We had two 18-year-olds on the wing in Connor McPartland and Jacob Smillie, 18-year-old half-backs in Brad Wright and Ryan Goldsborough and a 17-year-old full back in Jack Cull.

“At centre we had brothers Jimmy and Chris Rogers, and we had Simon Birkbeck, John Nall and Alex Stephens on the bench, but we had a very strong team spectating.”

Halifax, who are two places below Wibsey in Yorkshire Division Four North West and are one of only two clubs not in the hunt for a play-off place, scored a try in the third minute.

“They looked a threat every time that they got into our 22,” admitted Brooke, and a further try followed in the 11th minute.

Wibsey hit back with a Wright penalty nine minutes later after a Halifax player was sin-binned for a spear tackle, but that was the only joy for the visitors as the hosts added a third try in the 38th minute to make the half-time score 17-3.

Another try followed three minutes into the second half, but Wibsey could not profit from a second yellow card for the hosts in the 50th minute, this time for a no-arms tackle.

Little happened for the last ten minutes, but plenty had happened beforehand for Birkbeck, who split a lip in a first-half cameo and was sin-binned ten minutes from time for a late tackle, his total time on the pitch being less than five minutes!

Wibsey expect to be much stronger for their league match at leaders Knaresborough on Saturday.