Winlaton Vulcans RFC

Winlaton welcomed Barnard Castle to Axwell View for a home fixture hoping to build on last weeks excellent win against Consett. Their opponents who lay 3rd in the league were hoping to make up ground on league leaders Ashington who have been setting the early pace in the division.

Barnard Castle kicked off down the hill and would have hoped to make the elements and the gradient give them a healthy half time lead. Playing against a stiff wind however Winlaton made all the early running, the pack of forwards continued where they left off the previous week and dominated the visitors in all phases of play.

With the forwards in such dominant form it was from some decent driving rucks that gave Winlaton their first score, the visitors struggling to cope infringed at one ruck and Allison drilled the ball into the corner. From the throw Bowles gathered at the lineout and Andy Moore was driven over for the try, Allison surprisingly hitting the post with the conversion.

Unfortunately Winlaton were to lose their Player/Coach Graeme Clarkson with a calf injury, the scrum half has been extremely influential this season and the good form the club has enjoyed coincided with his return to the side. With no obvious replacement available a reshuffle was required with Kevin Allison moving in from fly half, Tariq Albassam came in from centre and Wilcox joined from the bench.

These changes were instrumental in Winlaton losing a bit of impetus but neither side really got close to troubling the scorers for the remainder of the half.

Half Time 5-0

With Winlaton having the advantage of the elements and the hill in the second half the task ahead for Barnard Castle was even more difficult. With their pack already outgunned a similar pattern emerged as the first half, scrimmaging was particularly difficult with Winlaton causing mayhem at times with the visitor’s front row under severe pressure.

From one such scrum came the next score, Barnard Castle were pinned in their 22 but a knock on by No 7 Morns, one of many that day, thwarted the home sides efforts. However from the resulting scrum the visitors could do nothing as Winlaton pack steamrollered them of the ball and No 8 Andy Robinson picked up and drove over from a few yards to extend the lead, Allison making the conversion.

With a deficit of 12-0 the visitors tried to spring into action, some decent runs were well supported especially in the backs but with each attack coming from deep in their own half they never had the field position to really launch any scoring chances. The broken play created by their efforts to get back in the game gave Winlaton their own opportunities and if the Winlaton players were able to keep hold of the ball more scores would of ensued.

Winlaton did stretch the score again with successive penalties from Allison when on both occasions the visiting side infringed at the ruck, taking the lead to 18-0. A change was made when Hunter came on in the back row with Scullion moving to wing from the flank. The game was sealed five minutes from time when No8 Robinson bagged his second try with a dart down the blindside before turning and scoring under the posts, gain Allison was successful with the extra 2 points.

Winlaton left the field victorious and surprised at the ease of the victory with the visitors comprehensively beaten and offering little threat of their own.

Full Time 25-0

Winlaton Team; Y Alabbassam, I Fleming, L Mitchell (D Hunter), T Alabbassam, N Stevenson, K Allison, G Clarkson (Wilcox), M Bly, S Urwin (Capt.), A Moore, M Bowles, K Scott, S Scullion, B Morns, A Robinson.

Next game; Guisborough (a) 15 Dec 07