We will remember

After running around all week scraping for people to play Saturday morning and we had 19, soon down to 17 with injury to Young Joe Halliday and with Charlie being called out to Bradford It was always going to be a battle. Arriving at Gateshead to find 30 odd warming up made it even more so as their 2nd team now had no game, The only saving Grace being it was cup and so they could only use 7 of them.

Among our ranks we had Jambo and Billy Short who have stepped up from the colts and done us proud and to add to them Luke Featherstone and Jake Gatley making their senior bows and were to do themselves proud.

On the other end of the scale Andy Dixon pulled on the boots to roll back the years.

Before the Game we took a few moments to Remember Matthew Olly. 5 Years ago he was cruelly taken from us at a young age and it was only fitting that Luke, one of his closest friends was here for the game. A minute silence in remembrance and a huge thank you to our opposition and supporters for observing it impeccably.

From the kick off Gateshead saw our youth and must have thought easy targets with hard direct running they threw everything at us. They certainly didn't expect what they got. A defensive brick wall. each time they tried to break through they were sent back with interest With Batesey and Lee Simpson in particular making some massive hits. With the terrible conditions though we just couldn't manage to get out of our own half and after 25 minutes the pressure told with a couple of slips in the mud a channel opened and they went through under the posts for a converted try.

A great restart though put them under pressure in their own 22 and it was our turn for the pressure. Again much of the pressure was from defence as they were panicked by our line speed making for mistakes.

% minutes before the break and we were back in it. A scrum on their 10 metres and picked up by Watson who in trademark style knocked the tacklers over as he went. once he got rid of the last ankle grabber he charged up the field and just about fell over the line.
We can forgive him for not going under the posts as we all thought his shoulder had popped again with him lying crumpled on the ground. Nope he was just unfit and took him about 5 minutes to get back to his feet while Luke missed the 2 from a difficult angle.

It stayed that way until half time when words of wisdom were said, don't worry lads, they might be bringing on fresh legs but they wont be better players!!!!!!! Oh yeah, forgot their 2nds had no game. Changes all round the park but the fight was there. Our lads worked for each other like you have never seen. No tackles were missed and chances were ours. Especially with Watson about to go over for his 2nd when the ref called it back for a penalty, TO US!!!!!!!! scratched heads confused looks but the decision was made.

In the end it was a similar story to that of the hippos a couple of weeks ago with the home team going over again putting their lead back to 7.

Shortly after was probably the biggest smile of the day. Gateshead flanker took the ball at pace from the back of a ruck And looked straight at Andy Dixon. Don't know what he was thinking but should have thought again as Andy took man and ball straight into touch with the carrier being the one on the bottom of the pile.

It wasn't till the very last play of the game however they scored again with a kick though in the worsening conditions, we missed a couple of opportunities to clear and they touched down.

Final score Gateshead 17 - 5 3TM

End of the match there was respect from both teams and looking back we could not have asked any more. With no less than 13 regular 3TM unavailable another day this would have been ours without a doubt.

For now we move on. We look to the league and get back to winning ways, we can hold our heads high knowing our spirit is our strength and the 3TM spirit is undoubted