Heworth 20 vs 38 Thatto Heath Crusaders. NCL Premier Division round 17. Saturday 15.8.26.

• 

A spirited young Heworth side produced an enterprising display against one of the National Premier League's more experienced outfits, but ultimately fell 38-20 to Thatto Heath Crusaders at Elmpark Way on Saturday.

After a week of pitch-watering to avoid another postponement, it was with some relief that the two teams took to a pretty green field, in the summer sunshine.

Heworth made the ideal start, crossing on just four minutes after they gathered possession and showed excellent hands to move the ball out wide for the opening try from Sam Parkinson down the right-hand side, a welcome 4 points early on.

The hosts extended their advantage midway through the half when Jack Sadler produced a weaving run, beating several defenders on his way to the try line from 60m out. Clarke's conversion stretched the lead to 10-0 and had Heworth supporters dreaming of an upset.

Thatto Heath responded with the quality expected of them. Ryan Forshaw opened their account in the 22nd minute before further tries from Andy Lea and Kobi McKinnon, all converted by the reliable Ryan Houghton, swung the momentum firmly in the visitors' favour.

Heworth refused to buckle and reduced the deficit before the break when Liam Richmond finished off a well-worked move following a pass from Dan Clarke. Jack Sadler converted to leave the scores finely balanced at 18-16 to Thatto Heath at half-time.

The visitors struck first after the restart through Kobi McKinnon, but Heworth's response was one of the highlights of the afternoon. Man of the Match Zach Towse fielded a kick deep inside his own half and raced the length of the field to score a superb solo try, cutting the gap to just two points at 22-20.

Thatto Heath, however, demonstrated their greater experience as the game approached the final quarter. A second try from McKinnon was followed by a converted effort from Adam Saunders before Kye Siyani crossed late on, with Houghton maintaining his impressive kicking record to put the result beyond doubt.

The final score did not fully reflect the contest, with Heworth matching their visitors for long periods and earning plenty of praise for an outstanding effort across the full 80 minutes from the youngsters.

The home side's commitment, skill and resilience ensured an entertaining encounter played at a good tempo throughout. Despite the defeat, Heworth could take enormous encouragement from their performance and in terms of building for the future this was an important day.

Towse deservedly collected the Man of the Match award, while Jack Sadler, Tom Clarke and Liam Richmond were all prominent contributors in a display that showcased the promise within the club's emerging squad.

With an average age of 21 across the Heworth team and with 14 of the 17 having progressed through the junior ranks at the Club, there as much to be really pleased with in the performance and plenty of positives for the Club overall.

The young Villagers may have come up short on the scoreboard, but against a seasoned and highly respected Thatto Heath side, they demonstrated the talent and spirit that suggest brighter days lie ahead.

Match report- Steve Towse