With player/coach Keenan back in the fold, Stocksbridge were able to recall back rower Reece ‘diesel’ Aspin after injury, along with destructive centre Liam O’Leary after work commitments. There was also a surprise inclusion for former Sheffield Eagles Rugby League star Menzie Yere to bolster the midfield. A still, mild afternoon & a flat, wide pitch contributed to a good open game with both sides having periods of dominance. Although Stocksbridge struggled in the set piece, their line out, with Whitaker in charge functioned well, & the backs looked dangerous when set free by that man Frith at half back.

Mosborough are a tough side to beat on their own patch, & the visitors game them a bit too much freedom to run at times, then relying on good cover defence with Yere & Ryan Smith in particular making some bone crunching hits. The home side struck first, landing a penalty from a Stocksbridge off side. Then Stocksbridge roared forward with ‘clock towers’ Whitaker & Beal linking well from a dominant line out, Whitaker, sponsored by S&M Pipeworks, eventually plunging over from close range to continue his rich vein of try scoring. Scotty Bowskill, sponsored by Mr Byron & Mrs Teresa Turner, adding the extras. Stocksbridge looked dangerous on the ball, & should have scored again, taking the wrong option before Mosborough kept themselves in touch with another penalty for another needless Stocksbridge infringement. Almost from the restart Mosborough failed to clear, & veteran flyer Joe Jones beat the first line of defence, swapped passes with that man Frith, sponsored by Brian Mills painting & decorating, who scorched in at the corner, cleverly making his way to the posts, to enable Bowskill to successfully convert. A drop off in intensity allowed the home side a try at the end of the half to give them some encouragement, leaving the half time score Mosborough Rugby 11pts – Stocksbridge Rugby 14pts.

The second stanza started poorly for the visitors, with Bowskill receiving a yellow card & a 10 minute sin binning for a deliberate knock on, trying to intercept a pass. Mosborough used the extra man to their advantage, & outflanked the cover to score in the corner to regain the lead. Stocksbridge had their chances to score but became a little obsessed with playing too tight in the forwards, instead of releasing their free flowing back line. Scrum half, Adam Frith suffered a knee injury & had to be carried from the field, & Stocksbridge lost their way a bit & conceded a try from close range to give the home side the advantage.

Try as they might, a combination of desperate, verging on illegal defence from the home side, & some questionable match management by the visitors kept Stocksbridge at bay, & a last minute try for the home side resulted in a flattering scoreline of Mosborough Rugby 28pts – Stocksbridge Rugby 14pts.

‘if you have to lose a game, it’s best to go down fighting, rather than with a whimper’ said rugby supremo Keenan after the game ‘we showed a lot of character & fight, which we can build on. But we still have to reduce our penalty count, it’s crippling us’ he added. That man Frith will have a scan to determine the extent of his injury, but he is already looking doubtful for next weekend’s tough away fixture to table toppers York RI.

The Bradfield Brewery player of the Day award went to the hard working & versatile Pete Newton, Pete is available for sponsorship, Ryan Smith, & both 2nd rowers Beal & Whitaker also showed up well in an encouraging if fruitless team performance.

Match report by Andy Tyers | Director of Rugby