Buffaloes, who were unbeaten in 8 league fixtures, come crashing down to Earth in defeat at Upton
Devon & Andy Johnson
Fresh off an excellent cup final win against Illingworth, the Buffaloes faced Upton with a depleted squad for their return encounter.
Despite having won the previous game 38 – 0 at home, this match always had the feeling of a banana skin and the potential to be tricky, even without the handicap of several new players taking to the pitch and others playing out of position.
From the outset, the Buffaloes seemed strangely out of sync, falling behind as early as the 4th minute. A high last-tackle kick was fumbled, allowing Upton to score a converted try straight from the ensuing scrum, making it 6 – 0.
The situation worsened when the Buffaloes, unusually shaky under the high ball, dropped three balls in the early play. Another knock-on 20 meters from their own line gave Upton the chance to sweep the ball out wide to their wingman, who went in for their second converted try, leading to a 12 – 0 deficit.
The Buffaloes regrouped with some storming runs from their forwards, and in the 20th minute, Jack Boot darted in for a trademark try beneath the posts. Lewis Gaunt added the conversion, narrowing the score to 12 – 6.
The Buffaloes now had their tails up, and their confidence was growing. In the 22nd minute, the ever-reliable Sam Neave caught the Upton restart cleanly and embarked on an incredible run, worthy of Yorkshire Men’s League try of the month. He weaved through six or more Upton defenders before racing 70 meters to dot the ball down. Gaunt’s successful conversion brought the Buffaloes level at 12 – 12.
The Buffaloes regained control as the match became an intense end-to-end battle. They came close to taking the lead, only to have a potential try ruled out by the referee, who deemed the ball held up over the line. However, just before half-time, the momentum swung back to Upton. Another knock-on inside the Buffaloes’ 20-meter area allowed Upton to score their third try, putting them ahead 18 – 12 as the whistle for half-time blew.
Half-time score: Buffaloes 12 – 18.
The second half got off to a pretty disastrous start for the Buffaloes, as the kick-off in the 41st minute went straight out of play, handing Upton possession from the dropout. Upton quickly capitalised, moving the ball swiftly to their left-hand side and scoring their fourth converted try of the afternoon, extending their lead to 24 – 12.
The Buffaloes responded with sustained pressure between the 45th and 55th minutes, launching constant attacks. Lewis Gaunt and Charlie McMurray drove hard at the Upton defence, but they could not ground the ball in four successive attempts despite crossing the line multiple times. Upton then secured their advantage in the 55th minute with a penalty kick, awarded for a clumsy head-high tackle, bringing the score to 26 – 12.
Despite strong carries from new forward Emlyn Bryan-Joyce, the Buffaloes just couldn’t finish their plays. In the last 20 minutes of the game, they were held up over the line five times and struggled to break down an Upton side that expertly managed the clock, using every trick in the book to slow the game. The match was repeatedly halted by what appeared to be well-timed “tactical” injuries that took the wind out of the Buffaloes sails. Before the final whistle, the Buffaloes had two more tries ruled out for not grounding the ball, resulting in a frustrating 26 – 12 defeat.
Full-time score: Buffaloes 12 – 26
Upton ARLFC: 1) Tyler Lloyd, 2) Ellis Bainbridge, 3) Evan Rowley, 4) Jordan Taylor, 5) Charlie Moody, 6) Steven Beal, 7) Jimmy Mercer, 8) Zak Cook, 9) Finley Parish, 10) Liam Walker, 11) Kyle Nix, 12) William Bojang, 13) Todd Williamson, Subs (All Used); 14) Aaron Lloyd, 15) Jordan Swain, 16) Declan Burrows, 17) Joe Jackson.
Buffaloes: 1) Kieran Hudson, 2) Conor O’Neill, 3) Samuel Marshall, 4) Bryn Perrott, 5) Zane Ballantyne, 6) Sam Neave, 7) Kieran McFarlane, 8) Jacob Oldroyd, 9) Jack Boot, 10) Charlie McMurray, 11) Thomas Langton, 12) Ben Wilkinson, 13) Lewis Gaunt, Subs (All Used)16) Michael Wright, 17) Ben Blanchard, 19) George Carpenter, 21) Michael Bryan-Joyce.
Tries; Boot (20), Neave (22)
Goals: Gaunt x 2