Match Reports – 8th & 9th March 2025

Both teams started brightly, and it was York who fed off a lineout sending the ball wide. York flyhalf Harry Shackleton missed an easy penalty kick and let the Greens off the hook. Then came a great response as Will Robinson scored a notable try. It came from a crafty steal from the York lineout on the Scunthorpe 22. Ethan Taylor hoofed the ball so high into the sky came it down with snow on it. The York fullback knocked on and it was a scrum to Green. Ben Hyde picked up the ball at the base and stormed through, the ball was recycled and Will Robinson scored in the corner. He obviously had his kicking boots on because Ethan Taylor converted the try from wide out to make the score York 0 Scunthorpe 7.

After half an hour York missed another penalty and an easy chance at picking up three points. Then came a period of play when the referee awarded numerous penalties against Tim Robinson’s warriors, some of them justified. One such transgression saw Shackleton convert the three pointer, York 3 Scunthorpe 7.

During this period the Scunthorpe defence were under extreme pressure, and they defended as if their lives depended on it. Unfortunately, the referee had had enough, and he sent Ben Hyde to the bin for a ten-minute rest. York went for a scrum thinking they could put one over, but Scunthorpe stood fast and repelled the attack. At the next penalty York went for the lineout but they fluffed that chance also and knocked on giving the scrum to the visitors. The Greens broke free, and Josh Lugsden chased a speculative kick, the ball was retained, and Ethan Taylor saw a great chance to dink the ball the corner for Lewis Talbot to catch and dive over, unfortunately the kick was too strong, and the chance went begging. Two minutes later Talbot showed what a real prospect he is when he scored an exquisite try. From a lineout the ball went wide and the young starlet came in off his wing, caught the ball in midfield and with an audacious step ghosted through the defence to go under the posts and score, much to the delight of vast number of traveling fans. Taylor converted. These ten minutes were the defining moment of the game – if not the season as the Greens showed real character. They were under the cosh, they were the wrong side of the referee, they were making numerous tackles, they were down to 14 men and yet they showed real spirit to head into half time 3-14 to the good.  

Two minutes into the second half Ben Hyde was back on the field but Scunthorpe could not stop giving away penalties. From one such offence York opted for a scrum on the 5m line but that Green defence just kept on pressurising York and this time the referee gave Scunthorpe the decision and the danger was over. Good driving play from Laurence Pearce and Joey Mowbray put Scunthorpe up to the York 40m line and York gave away another penalty. Ethan Taylor accepted the invitation to collect three points, 3-17.

The Greens were now in a good position after having been battered in their own defence and struggling to exit the 22. It was now about managing the game for the last 15 minutes. York gave themselves a glimmer of hope when they scored a try through centre, George Davies. After their umpteenth penalty York once again chose a scrum. The ball went out and the big centre took the crash ball to score under the posts, Shackleton converted, and it was now close at 10-17.

The home side could sense that they might have a chance to sneak this game and came roaring back. York were on the attack but yet again the resolute defence kept them out. This was typified with a great jackal by Laurence Pearce which earned a penalty to Scunthorpe and allowed then to kick the ball up to the halfway line. For only about the second time in the half Scunthorpe entered York territory through a great scorching run from Will Robinson. This forced another penalty to Scunthorpe just inside the York 22. Cool heads chose the correct option, and Ethan Taylor slotted the penalty over. There were only with five minutes to go, and York now needed two scores to get a result. The excellent Scunthorpe defence was awesome as they stemmed several attacks. From penalty after a penalty, they were pummelled on their own 22 and Scunthorpe stuck out to the very end and really deserved this victory with the final score 10-20. The only downside was an unfortunate second yellow card for Ben Hyde which put a slight dampener on events.

Scunthorpe now have a two-point buffer over Huddersfield with almost identical playing records in terms of games won and lost. So, as we enter the business end of the season it’s all to play for with destiny of the league solely in the hands of the Green Team. The squad of eighteen players showed real resilience at York and the backs were playing with some of the flair they showed in the first half of the season. The boys can rest their wounds as they have a week off then they must prepare for their last home league game when they face the resurgent Blaydon at Heslam Park on March 22^nd.

Match Report written by Steve Williams

Photo Credit to Gary Lugsden

Photo Credit to Joey Mowbray