Yorkshire prevailed over Cumbria at both Open Age and Under 19s in Sunday’s opening games in the BARLA County Tri-Series.
OPEN AGE
YORKSHIRE 25
CUMBRIA 14
Sandal RUFC, Sunday
YORKSHIRE recovered from an early try by the Cumbrians’ Daniel Fryer to open the series with a compelling victory.
Cumbria will now host Lancashire in a double-header, alongside the Under 19s game between the counties, on Sunday 27 November. Yorkshire, meanwhile, will travel to
Lancashire on Sunday 4 December with the title at stake, possibly on a three-way basis.
The visitors stunned their hosts with a try on 12 minutes for Daniel Fryer and added goals on 23 and 32 minutes by Ethan Kelly to help establish an 8-0 lead.
Yorkshire opened their account just four minutes before the break, through Kyle Larvin, but Cumbria went in at the break 14-6 ahead when James Devine skipped over and Kelly kicked his third goal.
Cumbria, however, were denied any further scoere. Jamie Fields charged in seven minutes after the restart and the Tykes were 24-14 ahead as the hour mark beckoned after having added touchdowns by Rhys Kilbride and James Jennison, Fields adding each conversion.
A field goal by Ian Jackson wrapped up a notable win to put Yorkshire in the driving seat in the 2016 competition.
YORKSHIRE: Josh Steward, Kyle Larvin, Matty Harling, Stu Smith, Rhys KIlbride, Ady Mulcahy, Ian Jackson, Dave Valentine, Dean Gamble, Joe Porter, James Jennison, Gaz Gale, Jamie Fields. Subs: Omar Alrawi, Sam Hessell, Jack Kirmond, Dan Hawksworth.
CUMBRIA: Russ Bolton, Phil Lister, Leon Crellin, Jamie Devine, Luke Davidson, James McDonald, Adam Batty, Matt Bewsher, Marcus O’Brien, Ethan Kelly, Dan Fryer, Liam Wood, Gary Tierney. Subs: Brian Ritchie, Liam Saunders, Matt Henson, Tom Wilkinson.
Referee: Steve Race
UNDER 19S
YORKSHIRE 48
CUMBRIA 18
THE Tykes got off to a winning start on the launch day of the 2016 campaign, hitting the half-century mark with the help of a hat=trick by Elliott Culling.
Cumbria, however, enjoyed the brighter start, posting tries in the first seven minutes for Curtis Teare and Owen Mcartney to help establish a morale-boosting 8-0 lead.
It wasn’t to last, however. Yorkshire blasted back with four tries between the 13th and 20th minutes to claim a straglehold they were destined not to forfeit.
Cullin (twice), captain Bradley Gotts and George Woodcoack steamed over in the blitz, Tom Forrest adding the first of his six goals.
Tom Askin replied for the visitors a couple of minutes shy of the half-hour but Yorkshire pulled clear in the second period, registering five tries to one.
Two of those went to Jacob Crosswell, while Gotts grabbed a second try and Culling completed his hat-trick. Ethan Hallis closed the account, while Cumbria could only muster a Billy Southward try on 48 minutes which Kieran Mewes improved.
YORKSHIRE: George Woodcock, Paul Foulstone, Dalton Halford, Elliott Culling, Jordan Taylor, Morgan Punchard, Tom Forrest, John Bownass, Steve Clarke, Luke Shaw, Matthew Stephenson, Harry Shelley, Bradley Gotts. Subs: Ethan Hallas, Brandon Dyson, Rhys Borbely, George Senior, Jack Crosswell.
CUMBRIA: Patrick Bennett, Rhys Burr, Gary Armstrong, Jordan O’Leary, Kieran Mewse, Ellis Mewes, Jack Nixon-Earl, Grant Reid, Dean Rooney, Owen McCartney, Curtis Tear, Rhys Pritchard, Lewis Pritchard. Subs: Connor Molyneux, Mark Miller, Bailey Morton, Tom Askew.
Referee: Liam Staveley