Crigg proved just too good for Kinsley in this bruising local cup-tie. Kinsley looked to make home advantage pay by playing down the considerable slope in the first half and securing the ball from a kick-off to touch. Immediately under pressure Crigg were slow to get up in defence, and within two minutes, Kinsley had scored a try in the corner past the static Martyn Tilford. The slow start continued for Crigg as they invited the home side to attack. Needing no second invitation they took full advantage and went over from close range for a converted try to make it 10-0 within five minutes.
Crigg continued to struggle for field possession, but a needless penalty provided the relief they needed. Mick Wood found touch and a swift movement allowed Tom Malyan to find Tilford in support to go over for the try and make up for his earlier error. Malyan's goal made it 10-6.
Crigg battled hard in midfield, but Kinsley defended the slope gamely. When Ryan Horsley was forced into touch in a gang tackle, momentum swung back to Kinsley. Quick hands exposed a huge gap in the Crigg defence. Desperate defence by Malyan slowed the attack and allowed Haydn Luke to cover, but it was too little too late, as the ref judged that Luke had failed to prevent Kinsley from grounding. The conversion made it 16-6.
Eventually Crigg got back to basics with Dale Tilford and Stuart Springett taking the ball up the middle. An offload to Horsley set the captain free. A quick exchange of passes with Luke, saw Horsley feed Malyan who scored a try he converted himself to pull it back to 16-10.
A scrappy spell then saw both teams knock-on and a series of penalties allowed Crigg to impose themselves on the Yorkshire League outfit. Paul Townend, Danny Lockwood and the impressive Dale Tilford pounded away at the big Kinsley pack who struggled to contend with the Crigg attack. Eventually it was Tilford who off-loaded to Horsley who slipped an inside pass to the clever Mick Wood who dummied the defence and scored under the sticks. With Malyan off injured it was Wood who converted his own try to make the scores level.
Kinsley received possession from the kick-off having found touch again, but Crigg defended their line well. A sin-binning for repeated interference at the ruck, gave Crigg the advantage and Wood gained good field position with the kick to touch. Two good drives and Crigg were at the line, but Tom Andrews' ambitious pass out the back went to ground and Kinsley were able to avert the danger.
With halftime approaching there seemed no way through for Crigg as they continued to move sideways in attack. Eventually the ball found its way to Andy Webber who straightened up and punched a hole in the defence. A smart pass to Joe Meecham allowed the fullback to find Horsley who crossed under the sticks. Wood goaled to put the visitors ahead 16-22. A minute later Crigg should have extended the lead as a fine Wood burst broke the line, only for Luke to fumble with the line at his mercy.
Crigg used Kinsley's kick-off tactics at the start of the second stanza and found touch. Two passes later, Webber's direct running took him over the line for a try in the corner. Wood kicked superbly to make it 16-26.
Indiscipline piggy-backed Kinsley up field and it was only an intercept by Nick Ementon that kept the Crigg line in tact. A penalty for ball-stripping allowed Crigg up field as Wood made 40 metres from his kick to touch. Good work from Martin Brooks, Horsley and the outstanding Webber kept the pressure on, before Horsley flicked a pass from the ground up to Luke, who went in under the sticks. Wood again goaled to make it 16-32.
The action continued to enthral the decent sized crowd. First Kev Marson was sin-binned for taking the law into his own hands, and Kinsley took advantage of the one-man advantage to reduce the arrears with a converted try. Crigg were soon back on the attack however, after a penalty for accidental offside at the kick-off gave them good field position. Hard drives got Crigg to the line, and Horsley slipped a cute pass to the rampaging Steff Haslam who spun out of the tackle to score a try in the corner that Wood was unable to convert.
The game was Crigg's now and as frustration boiled over, an altercation on halfway saw the ref reduce both teams to twelve to restore order. Minutes later a second Kinsley man was sent-off for using an elbow in the tackle on Marson, just out of the sin-bin himself. From the penalty Crigg spun the ball out wide and Webber went over for his second in the corner. Brooks' magnificent touchline conversion stretched the lead. Soon afterwards the centre made it two hat-tricks in two games, as Luke slipped a crafty inside pass to Webber who scored under the sticks. Brooks made it 22-48 with the conversion to see Crigg safely through to the next round.
Man of the match * 1 Andy Webber, sponsored by Inbev UK Ltd, 2 Ryan Horsley, 3 Nick Ementon