Huddersfield Underbank Rangers Vs Bramley Buffaloes - Bramley Buffaloes

  • National League Three
  • 21/08/2004
  • 14:30

The Buffaloes further cemented their play-off hopes with a tenth win of the season after a convincing 44-16 victory at Huddersfield Rangers.

A brace of second-half tries from young debutant Darren Forster, recently signed from Morley RUFC, proved the high point of a game which Bramley bossed from the start.

Ryan Taylor started the ball rolling on 2 minutes as he went over from close range after collecting a superb off load from Chris Gardner. Gardner got in on the act eight minutes later after a pinpoint pass from Scott Pendlebury set him free and subsequently converted his own try.

Huddersfield hit back with a converted try on 27 minutes but normal service was resumed five minutes later as prop Tim Orr powered his way over from 10 yards after excellent work by Simon Bowker. Gardner’s conversion made it 16-6 at the break.

Within seconds of the restart Marc Gibson increased Bramley’s lead with a typical opportunistic break to touch down under the posts and set up an easy two points for Gardner.

With 50 minutes on the clock Darrell Forster, playing his first senior game in the thirteen-a-side code, forced his way over in the corner to make it 26-6.

Soon after a full throttle fight resulted in the dismissal of Chris Mills and the sin-binning of Gardner and for a while Rangers threatened to get back into the game after notching a try on 62 minutes.

Forster, who showed his lightning pace throughout the second period, grabbed his second try on 65 minutes with a tenacious run to the line. The young league convert dusted himself off and converted his own try brilliantly from wide out.

Rangers notched a third converted try on 68 minutes but it was the Buffaloes who had the final say with two scores in the last eight minutes. Steve Gill made it 38-16 with the try of the game after weaving his way through Rangers’ defence from 30 yards and moments later Shaun Flynn finished off a move created by a rampaging run from Danny O’Connor.

“I was very happy with the way we performed out there on what was a challenging surface,” exclaimed Bramley coach Phil Hellewell.

“We grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck from the very start and although we showed a few defensive lapses I felt we were always in control,” added Phil whose side plays host to South London Storm at Bramley Phoenix RUFC next Saturday (2.30pm kick-off).