North One East: Pocklington 23 Bradford & Bingley 15

THIS was a tremendous advertisement for level six of the RFU pyramid.

Aside from the inevitable problems caused for both sides and the referee by the new World Rugby edict on what constitutes a dangerous tackle, both sides went at it full tilt from first whistle to last.

While there was no quarter given in a very physical contest, both sides also tried to give the ball some width as forwards and backs were all involved in a pulsating game.

The game was played in great spirit in front of a good-sized crowd who thoroughly enjoyed the full-blooded contest and the banter between both sets of supporters.

It always seemed likely that the result would be decided by a mistake as both sides were relentless in their defence and, unfortunately for the visitors, that error came with only four minutes remaining and only yards from the Bradford & Bingley posts.

Pocklington had been hammering away in the Bees 22, but, with the scores remaining at 16-15 in favour of the home side, it seemed that any breakaway by the Bees might just give Martin Whitcombe's men a chance to pinch a win, whether it be via a penalty or drop goal.

However, as the Bees set to clear their lines a wayward pass was flung in the general direction of Richard Tafa and, as the ball appeared to be about to sail over the veteran centre's head, he swung an arm up, hoping to somehow retrieve the errant ball.

But instead of the ball ending up in the visitors' hands, it bobbled up for Pocklington to gather and slide in for the score.

There can be no blame attached to Tafa as he was making a valiant attempt to pull in an awful pass and, aside from that incident, the big No 12 had a tremendous day after coming in as a late replacement for Ross Peltier, who had crossed off on the morning of the game.

Particularly in the first half, Tafa was a nightmare for the Pocklington defence as he blasted straight through their line several times and almost set up a try for Adam Sutcliffe on one of his charges up the middle.

Sensing he didn't have the legs to outpace the Pocklington full back, Tafa punted a well-weighted kick out to the left touchline.

With Sutcliffe haring after the ball, it was a straight race for the touchdown in the corner between opposing wingers.

Although Sutcliffe bounced up off the turf celebrating a score, it appeared that he was in fact inches short of touching the ball as it bobbled over the whitewash.

Sutcliffe did have genuine reason to celebrate right on half-time, however, as his five-pointer, after extensive Bees pressure near the home line, sent them in with an 8-6 advantage.

Their other points came from a sixth-minute drop goal from Gerhard Nortier, with Pocklington claiming two penalties in reply.

The key period of the game came between the 50th and 53rd minutes, with the Bees two men short following the sin-binning of skipper Tom Booth and Tafa.

In that three-minute period, the home side scored twice, although the second score was not without controversy as those in the crowd wearing Bees tinted glasses saw a Pocklington hand knock the ball foward in the surge to the line, but the referee saw no reason not to award the score, despite the vociferous advice to the contrary coming from the Bees contingent in that corner of the ground.

With a full complement restored, the Bees were able to regroup and begin to mount a number of promising attacks at the opposite end of the pitch.

One surge up the middle of the field enabled Nortier to break free and scuttle to the line, setting up a relatively easy conversion which he then landed.

The Bees were now a single point behind and any kind of a score would have given them a lead to defend but, despite several promising drives up the right hand side of the field, stern Pocklington defence and the odd handling error from the Bees saw the visitors efforts come to nought and as the clock ticked on it was Pocklington in the ascendancy.

The pressure applied by the home side was rewarded as that wayward pass bounced off Tafa to gift a score and, in the final analysis, the better side won, but the Bees' efforts should have at least been rewarded with a losing bonus point.