Saturday 7th October

Dodworth 14 Crigglestone All Blacks 9

Dodworth spoiled the party for Crigg, as they ended the visitors' 100% record at the start of the season.  A lacklustre Crigg left their coach Damian Horsley and the large travelling support disappointed at the manner in which the unbeaten run was ended.

Repeat sets of six for Dodworth early on set the tone for the following 80 minutes, as Crigg lacked respect for possession and needlessly invited the opposition to attack.  Fine scramble defence held the home side out and indeed it was Crigg who scored first, against the run of play.  Tom Malyan intercepted a loose pass on his own line, and ran the length of the field before being hauled down just short.  Kev Marson was in support and reached over from a quick play the ball, to put Crigg 4-0 ahead.  Malyan failed with the kick.

Dodworth soon put Crigg under more pressure and when Dale Tilford was penalised for offside, the kick to touch put Crigg back on their line.  Three tackles later and Dodworth were over from dummy half.  The conversion making it 6-4.

Malyan and Ryan Horsley had been combining well on the few occasions Crigg had the ball in hand, but that ended on 27 minutes when Malyan was withdrawn after being hit with an elbow in the tackle.  Replacement Stuart Springett knocked on with his first touch, and once again Crigg were under the cosh.  Good scrambling defence again kept Dodworth out and Crigg should have scored following a Kev Marson break.  The ball was passed to Nigel Wood who knocked on with the line begging.  Minutes later a fine move involving Mick Wood and Horsley on the last tackle, saw Tim Owens go close, only to be held short.  A penalty against Crigg just before halftime for reefing the ball, allowed Dodworth to extend the lead to 8-4.

The second half started no better for Crigg, as Horsley knocked on from the kick-off, only for Dodworth to knock-on from the resulting scrum.  Minutes later Danny Lockwood got Crigg going, with a barnstorming run.  Quick play the balls got Crigg down the other end where they forced a knock-on.  Horsley once again fumbled with the ball, this time form the scrum and all the pressure was released.  Dodworth responded with a good set, ending with a high bomb that Kev Marson did well to field under pressure.  The yards he made in returning the ball were soon lost as Springett knocked-on on the third tackle.

The mistakes continued.  First Adam Hyman was penalised for lying on in the tackle, then both sides knocked-on, before Dodworth dropped the ball, having crossed the tryline.  A penalty soon followed as Dodworth were penalised for not standing square, and Wood got good field possession from the kick to touch.  A couple of tackles later, Will Field barged over from dummy half to bring the scores level.  Wood's kick was unsuccessful.

Again Dodworth were penalised and Wood gained good yards, before slotting over a drop goal to put Crigg ahead 9-8.  Crigg should have wrapped the game up just three minutes later, as Horsley's clever footwork put him through.  He drew the fullback and passed inside to Wood, only for the halfback to knock-on.

Dodworth responded to the let off by putting Crigg under pressure.  Marson again showed his confidence under the high ball, and Tilford did some good work getting the ball away from the line.  Wood again knocked-on and minutes later saw a second drop goal attempt drift wide.  Penalties and poor handling kept on inviting Dodworth to attack and on 70 minutes they took full advantage by running out wide to score.  The kick made it 14-9.

Further opportunities came to Crigg, but poor handling let them down.  It looked as though Crigg had snatched a victory they never deserved at the death, as Wood went over by the sticks, only for the ref to rule a double movement and bring an end to Crigg's unbeaten start to the season.