Buffaloes make hay in the York sun as the first-half display rips the heart out of New Earswick.
Andy & Devon Johnson
At the midway point of the season, the Buffaloes travelled to New Earswick for their away fixture, having previously triumphed 14 – 0 in their home encounter at the start of the season. Despite missing several players due to holidays and injuries and making several positional changes, the team appeared capable of maintaining their top-of-the-table position.
The Buffaloes struck first. Just two minutes into the game, a beautiful flowing move saw the supporting Baily Harman, who looked fit and well, fly in from 20 meters out to open the scoring. Lewis Gaunt added the conversion, bringing the score to Buffaloes 6 – 0.
In the following 10 minutes, the Buffaloes placed themselves under pressure like in the previous match, conceding 18 consecutive tackles within their 20-meter area. However, their defence remained resolute and didn’t give New Earswick a sniff of a chance.
Clicking back into gear, the Buffaloes extended their lead in the 12th minute with a try that started from their own line. Jamie Donnelly made a splendid 40-meter break before passing it to Eliah Chitiyo, who then evaded three defenders over the final 50-metre sprint to score under the posts. Gaunt successfully converted, making it 12 – 0.
New Earswick were utterly shell-shocked at the speed and skill of Eliah, and Lewis Gaunt’s robust tackling further demoralised the hosts as he put in consecutive big hits on the front line. The third try of the afternoon came in the 17th minute and was a spectacle to watch. Eliah executed a remarkable 70-meter run, eluding at least five New Earswick defenders with only inches of room between himself and the sideline. Lewis Gaunt added the extra 2 points to make the score 18 – 0.
In the 30th minute, the Buffaloes notched their fourth try when Dan Booth, redeeming himself for an earlier poor kick, embarked on a trademark strong run to score beside the posts. Gaunt added the extras, pushing the score to 24 – 0.
There was time for one more try before half-time, with Zane Ballentyne, who had replaced the injured Chitiyo, taking a well-weighted pass to score. Gaunt’s reliable kicking made the half-time score Buffaloes 30-0, mirroring the scoreline of their previous game against Upton.
Half-time score: Buffaloes 30 – 0.
New Earswick emerged in the second half with renewed determination, but the Buffaloes’ robust tackling consistently thwarted their efforts to go one-up. However, the Buffaloes were repeatedly penalised for a series of high tackles, which allowed the hosts to maintain a significant share of the ball. This tendency to concede penalties is a concern moving forwards, as stronger opponents could have capitalised more effectively.
As injuries began to pile up for the Buffaloes, New Earswick scored the first try of the second half in the 50th minute. The Buffaloes had taken Tom Langton, a defensive stalwart all afternoon, off for a breather. The gap he left in the defence was the space the home side needed to squeeze in, making the score Buffaloes 30 – 4.
This setback spurred the Buffaloes into action, and they responded almost immediately with a try of their own. Directly from the kick-off, Sam Neave rose above all the New Earswick players to secure the ball, swiftly moved to the right for a try, only for the referee to call a forward pass. This temporary reprieve for New Earswick was short-lived, as they lost the ball in the next set. The Buffaloes capitalised with a move similar to the earlier one, resulting in Zane Ballentyne sprinting in from 20 meters. Lewis Gaunt added his sixth conversion of the afternoon, bringing the score to 36 – 4.
A consolation try for New Earswick wrapped up the scoring for the day, ending with Buffaloes 36 – 8.
Full-time score: Buffaloes 36 – 8.
The Buffaloes again demonstrated their depth and strength, retaining their top position in the table. Several players had standout performances; Sam Neave and Dan Booth relentlessly pressured New Earswick throughout the match, and Eliah Chitiyo’s two early tries significantly weakened the hosts’ resolve. Despite the impressive tries, it was the Buffaloes’ excellent defence that provided the foundation for their victory. New Earswick was repeatedly halted, particularly in the early stages, by prominent defenders like Lewis Gaunt (who converted all six tries), Cameron McLachlan, and the returning Charlie Murray, with solid support from Tom Langton, Curtis Sidebottom, and Bailey Harmon.
Our next fixture is a home game against Elland/Greetland. This is a crucial match since they are the only team to have defeated the Buffaloes this year. I’m confident all the lads will be eager to avenge that loss and reclaim some of the points we dropped.
New Earswick: 1) Conor Calam, 2) Lewis Carter, 3) Stephen Clarke, 4) Ben Cooper, 5) Jakeob Edwards, 6) William Holmes, 7) Leo Hutchinson, 8) Callum Jukes, 9) Thomas Lancashire, 10) Sean Malarkey, 11) Iain Oakley, 12) Louis Phillips, 13) Michael Renwick, Subs (All Used); 14) Gary Sissons, 15) Carl Smith, 16) Louie Telford, 17) Dean Smith.
Buffaloes: 1) Eliah Chitiyo, 2) Daniel Booth, 3) Samuel Marshall, 4) Bryn Perrott, 5) Jamie Donnelly, 6) Connor McGill, 7) Sam Neave, 8) Charlie McMurray, 9) Cameron McLachlan, 10) Curtis Sidebottom, 11) Thomas Langton, 12) Bailey Harman, 13) Lewis Gaunt, Subs (All Used); 14) Kacper Mroz, 15) Ben Wilkinson, 16) Zane Ballantyne, 17) Karl Wilson.
Tries: Harman (2), Chitiyo (10, 17), Booth (30), Ballentyne (33, 55)
Goals: Gaunt x 6