Yorkshire Division One: Bradford Salem 20 Old Rishworthians 20

HAVING battered away at the visitors’ line for the opening 25 minutes of the second half, Bradford Salem felt deflated to come away with only a draw.

For starters they were convinced that No 8 Christian Baines had put the ball down on the Old Rishworthians line in the Heaton Woods corner during that period, but referee Kevin Weston (North Yorkshire Society), who generally did a capable job, was unsighted and ruled held up.

However, credit must also be given to Rish’s committed defence, with the relegation-threatened Halifax side narrowing the gap on third-from-bottom Selby to two points.

It also halted a run of three successive losses for ninth-placed Salem, but veteran back Sam Gardner, not known for being backwards in coming forwards, could not hide his feelings afterwards.

Salem turned down the chance to kick two penalties, opting to go for tries instead in that spell of dominance, and Gardner, formerly of Keighley Cougars and Otley RUFC and playing on the wing for the first time in seven years, said: “You think you are going to get over the line, and some of the referee’s decisions there were 50-50.

“We just needed to show more patience at times. It was disappointing that we didn’t win but it was a vital two league points on the board.”

Rish had first use of a strong crosswind, courtesy of Storm Erik that at times blew towards Heaton Woods, but the starting point for their attacks often foundered on superb kick-off receptions by Salem flanker Rhys Green.

In the fifth minute, however, the home side gained a foothold in visiting territory and won a penalty when Rish were penalised for not rolling away, with Salem fly half Sven Guttenbeil popping over the penalty from near the Halifax side’s 22.

Salem then came under pressure in their right-hand corner after an astute kick ahead by Rish scrum half George Wright won them a line-out close to the flag.

But although the hosts did well to pinch possession and clear, they went behind in the tenth minute when prop Phil Kershaw scored and the influential Eddie Cockroft added the conversion.

Rish were generally holding sway, and Guttenbeil, who was more out than in on a mixed afternoon, gave away a penalty for holding on to the ball after being isolated.

The visitors then almost scored on the left but the reprieve was short-lived as Cockroft scored a try and added the conversion in the 22nd minute to make it 14-3.

However, Salem got back in contention five minutes later when their man of the match, scrum half Jamie Simpson, took a quick tap inside Rish’s 22, giving the home side the momentum for prop Will Collins to score and Guttenbeil to convert.

Gardner then showed his pace and nous in covering back from a Rish kick ahead before Guttenbeil scored a try in the 37th minute.

But the fly half, whose ancestry seems to cover most of Northern Europe, injured a knee in the act of scoring and was replaced by Chris Clough, with Simpson taking over kicking duties to extend Salem’s lead to 17-14.

Rish levelled matters in added time though after Salem flanker Mike MacDonald was off his feet, Cockroft’s successful penalty ending the half with the score at 17-17.

Probably happy to have parity, Salem started the second half like men on a mission as wave after wave of attacks crashed towards the Rish line.

Three minutes of pressure resulted in a Salem scrum deep in visiting territory but the hosts then surprisingly lost a heel against the head.

In the 49th minute, Sam Savage, Ben Whitaker and Clough, among others, set skipper Baines up for a close-range charge at the Rish line.

The former Old Grovian twisted and planted the ball down on the visitors’ whitewash, but referee Weston did not have a clear view and gave a held-up verdict.

Centre Conor Wood was the next home player to be held up over the line three minutes later, and then Collins went close and Baines was also held up over the line.

It seemed that the Rish dam must burst at some point, but it never did and they survived that 25 minutes of what seemed like incessant pressure.

The visitors brought on the big boot of Joshua Kelly to pin Salem back, and the tactic worked.

In between time, however, Salem were back on the front foot and, realising that they had to get some reward for all of their attacking, Simpson popped over a penalty in the 70th minute to put them 20-17 ahead.

There was, though, almost an air of inevitability that Rish would then land an equalising penalty at the other end, and it duly came from Kelly in the 78th minute.

The same player then had the chance to win it for the visitors, but Storm Erik managed one fitful last gust, and the replacement fly half’s attempt to draw the ball in on the wind did not have the legs.

Salem thus ended with another draw to add to their November stalemates at Guisborough (17-17) and Hullensians (22-22).