Buffaloes have to dig deep to pick up 2 cup points against Emley Moor Cougars

 Reported by Andy and Devon Johnson

On a sweltering afternoon, the Buffaloes shuffled the deck and named a much-changed side as they looked to put last week’s defeat behind them with a win against their Division 3 visitors.

True to form, the Buffaloes came out firing and ran in three tries inside the opening 20 minutes. The first came in the 4th minute, as the ball found Sam Marshall, who somehow squeezed through a gap that wasn’t there and turned on the afterburners for a trademark 40-metre burst, leaving defenders trailing. He touched down under the posts and Codey Downey made no mistake with the extras to put the Buffaloes 6–0 ahead.

The Buffaloes went further ahead in the 12th minute, as evergreen winger Keiran Hudson—in his first game for some time – showed he’d lost none of his sharpness. He was simply too good for his opposite number and squeezed in by the corner flag. Downey’s touchline effort fell just short, but the Buffaloes extended their advantage to 10–0.

The third try followed seven minutes later. Downey turned scorer this time, latching onto a well-weighted kick through and outpacing the Emley cover. Lewis Gaunt added the extras, and the score moved to 16–0.

In the 24th minute, the Buffaloes looked certain to bag try number four as slick hands moved the ball wide to the wing with open space ahead. But a looping pass was intercepted by the Emley scrum half, who read it perfectly and sprinted 50 metres to score under the sticks. The successful conversion cut the lead to16–6.

Half Time score: Buffaloes 16 – 6.

The Buffaloes came out firing after the break and were on top from the restart. Just two minutes into the half, Codey Downey grabbed his second try of the afternoon with a sharp finish. Tom Jenkins stepped up for the conversion but struck the upright, leaving the score at 20–6.

In the 47th minute, the Buffaloes went in for their 5th try of the afternoon. After a strong charge from Lewis Gaunt, Louis Morrison backed him up well to crash over beside the posts. Jenkins made no mistake this time, extending the lead to 26–6.

Why the Buffaloes couldn’t maintain the momentum is open to great debate, but Emley were gifted four quick tries in the space of 12 chaotic minutes. A failure to regather kick-offs and a couple of costly knock-ons left the defensive line at Emley’s mercy. Emley gladly took their chances and suddenly, it was all square at 26–26.

Thankfully, the Buffaloes snapped back into gear in the 65th minute. Charlie McMurray was determined to put the Buffaloes back in the lead when he received the ball and went on a barnstorming run, bulldozing his way over the line for a much-needed try. Lewis Gaunt added the extras to restore the lead at 32–26.

But the drama wasn’t done. In the 70th minute, with no apparent danger looming, a wayward over-the-shoulder pass fell straight into the hands of an Emley player, who raced in despite Jack Boot’s best efforts. That levelled things up again at 32–32.

With time ticking down, the Buffaloes tightened up and forced an error. A penalty 15 metres out—awarded after an Emley player kicked out in the tackle—gave Lewis Gaunt the chance to edge them back in front. He held his nerve, and the Buffaloes led 34–32 with just four minutes to go.

The win was finally sealed in the 78th minute when Keiran McFarlane cut through the line and dived over for the final try. Gaunt added the conversion, wrapping up a breathless contest at 40–32.

Despite running in seven tries and looking in complete control at times, the Buffaloes almost let this one slip away during a damaging spell of lapses. Next week the threat comes in the form of East Hull who are not as likely to look such a gift horse in the mouth.

Final score: Buffaloes 40 – 32 Emley Moor Cougars

Buffaloes: 1) Marcus White, 2) Kieran Hudson, 3) Samuel Marshall,4) Omar Al Rawi, 5) James Clark, 6) Codey Downey, 7) Kieran McFarlane, 8) Jacob Oldroyd, 9) Jack Boot, 10) Charlie McMurray, 11) Thomas Langton, 12) Louis Morrison, 13) Lewis Gaunt, Subs (All Used); 14) Ben Blanchard, 15) Jack Iceton, 16) Ramsey, 17) Thomas Jenkins

Tries: Marshall (4),  Hudson (12),  Downey (19, 42), Morrison (47), McMurray (65), McFarlane (78)

Goals, Downey, Gaunt x 3,  Jenkins x 2

Emley Moor:1) Harry Teale, 2) Lucas Adamson, 3) Callum Allaway, 4) Luke Watkiss, 5) Louie Creaser, 6) Edward Hunter,7) Corey Toner, 8) Timothy Gee,9) Jordan James, 10) Max Vernon,  11) Lennie Jackson, 12) Oliver Matthews, 13) Adam McSkimming, Subs (All Used); 14) Josh Eastwood,  15) Brandon Kelly, 16) Terry Brown,  17) William Morris