Cleckheaton take heart from defeat
Middlesbrough 20 Cleckheaton 6
MIDDLESBROUGH ultimately deserved this bonus point win, but for the first hour Cleckheaton controlled both possession and territory and looked the most likely outfit to win.
Throughout February, Cleckheaton have built confidence with two wins and a draw bringing 11 points and increasing pressure on rivals Rochdale to avoid the third relegation place.
Although last Saturday was a setback the players should realise that Middlesbrough, at full strength, are a good pacy side.
For the majority of the game, Cleckheaton matched them but lapses of concentration in the set scrum and defence proved their downfall.
The first half was very open with both sides willing to push the ball wide at regular intervals.
Cleckheaton's Ross Hayden was prominent in several well constructed attacks, with his elusive side-step, set up good attacking positions well into Boro territory.
Similarly the hosts launched several attacks but Cleckheaton's defence was solid and the half remained scoreless going into the last five minutes.
Iain Gordon had the game's first chance of points when Cleckheaton were awarded a penalty in the 38th minute. Unfortunately his effort was wide and when Boro responded with a fluid attack in injury time, hooker Richard Horton dived over following a rolling maul, for a try which was unconverted.
Owen Edwards replaced the ailing Mitch Ashworth at half-time and the signs were promising when Cleckheaton took the lead following two successful Iain Gordon penalties in the 52nd and 54th minutes.
At the same time Boro were reduced to 14 men when second row Martin Dixon was sin-binned for playing the ball on the ground and in front of the posts.
For some unknown reason Cleckheaton started to lose vital set piece possession and from one such strike against the head, live-wire scrum-half and captain Peter Wright took the chance to burst through a gap for a fine individual try.
The score was unconverted but the Boro captain repeated the feat when he took a quick tap penalty in the 70th minute and once more beat the covering defence for another good try created out of nothing.
Gordon missed a penalty chance in the 71st minute which would at that point, have put Cleckheaton in a losing bonus point position.
However, in the last minute the hosts extended the gap when hooker Richard Horton once more finished off a good move for a try wide out. The score was unconverted.
It was a disappointing result for the resurgent Cleckheaton team but this should serve as a warning that good sides exploit lapses in concentration.
Intermittent lapses punctuated the second half which enabled Boro to regain their composure and effectively score each time they visited Cleckheaton territory.
The visitors were not so clinical with their execution and, despite often dominating territory, could not convert pressure into points.
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Weather for Cleckheaton
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
