Brods bid for festive hat-trick

The Woodhead club will be looking to win the Fred Scott Memorial Trophy for a third successive time after a 27-12 home win 12 months ago.

Brods do not treat it as a first team fixture but often field former players, some of them students, back in the area for Christmas,

Brods’ first team game at Hullensians in Yorkshire One last Saturday was called off on the morning of the game due to a frozen pitch.

At Woodhead, the seconds lost 29-15 to Morley and the Beavers went down 27-10 to Aireborough.

A frustrating season of near misses continued for Halifax Vandals as they contrived to turn a comfortable winning position into a self-inflicted 9-8 defeat to West Park Leeds at Warley last Saturday.

Turning round 8-0 up, having played up the snow covered hill in the first half, a series of careless errors, poor decisions, missed opportunities and ill-discipline gave the visitors three penalty chances, all converted.

Vandals, next to bottom of Yorkshire Two, started impressively with forwards Hamer, Richardson, Sutcliffe and Jowett hammering into the opposition. Crowther gave them the lead with a fifth minute penalty.

Jamie Bloem and Duffy broke the gain line and several penalties were kicked to the corner. Driving mauls were repelled but two West Park yellow cards told as Duffy broke through the heart of the West Park midfield and McAspurn sent Crowther in for a try.

The second half was a lacklustre, non-event for the Vandals. Several missed penalties, an absence of line out ball and a self-destructive streak with the match official meant they played without possession. Two yellow cards made life even more difficult and West Park took advantage to steal the points.

Yorkshire Cup holders Old Brodleians under 15s are through to their fifth consecutive Yorkshire Cup semi-final after a 43-5 win over Roundhegians.

The teams were grateful to West Park Leeds for lending them their second team pitch to allow the fixture to go ahead.

Both sides entered the game with a healthy record and the early exchanges were even.

James Farley broke down the far right to open the scoring and Thomas Inman added an excellent conversion.

There were some great battles up front but Brods exerted pressure through Inman’s astute kicking and excellent support play between Benjamin Cliff and James Thackray produced a second converted try.

Hegians made it 14-5 following a driving maul, a reward for the forwards’ fine work, but Finlay Stewart broke the line and George Gillgrass scored from the restart to make it 26-5 at half time.

Brods defended a driving maul well and Thackray scored an impressive second try.

William Pryce intercepted and an excellent offload released Gillgrass for his second as Brods took the score to 38-5 before Stewart had the final say. Inman finished with four conversions.