Harrogate Pythons RUFC see fine run of home form ended by title favourites Dinnington RUFC

The Starbeck-based club have been in superb form on their own turf this season, but their chances of recording yet another home victory evaporated during a first half which saw their visitors demonstrate exactly why they are joint top of the table.

The Pythons found themselves trailing by 24 points at the interval, and although they managed to go on and win the second period, they ended up on the wrong end of a 37-14 score-line.

“We were ground down in the first half, where we were defending for the majority of it,” said Tom Baxter, the club’s director of rugby.

“Although defending well with good physicality, it’s hard to keep repeating efforts without any ball in hand.

“So all credit to Dinnington, they took their chances well and kept us pinned down in our half without the ball.

"We did show elements of strong attacking intent with Harry Smith trying to get us going from fly-half, plus a long-range effort from Hugh Tatlow.

“But, we failed to capitalise on the momentum shift and allowed Dinnington back into the game.

“It’s now important that we stay tight as a group as we prepare for what will be a similar challenge away at Goole in our next fixture.”

The Pythons were given an insight into how hard their task was going to be within five minutes of Saturday’s game kicking off.

The referee adjudged them to have collapsed a dangerous driving maul from a Dinnington line-out and awarded a penalty try as well as brandishing a yellow card.

Things got worse for the hosts soon afterwards when the visitors spun the ball wide to go over in the corner for 14-0.

The half ended with the Pythons camped on the Dinnington line and pressing hard for their first score of the afternoon, but not before the high-flyers had added another converted try and a penalty to their total.

The second period saw ‘Gate fall further behind when the away team landed another shot at goal to make it 27-0.

But they Pythons kept working hard and got their reward after Tatlow charged down an attempted clearance kick.

Jordan Payne scooped the loose ball up and, joined by George Booth, powered towards the try-line.

Although that charge was halted metres short, Will Milnes was on hand to pick up the ball and drive over the whitewash. Ben Pryor then added the extras to make it 27-7.

A second try then materialised almost immediately after Eddie Wilkinson claimed the restart kick and fed Tatlow.

He broke through the Dinnington defence, crossing the halfway line at pace and stepping a number of defenders on his way to finishing next to the posts in sensational fashion.

Pryor again booted over the extras to give the score-line a much healthier look at 27-14, though that was as good as it got for the Pythons as the away side added two more late touchdowns to wrap things up.

Next up for Baxter and his men is a trip to mid-table rivals Goole this Saturday afternoon.