Halifax RUFC 11 Harrogate 10 - Victory at last
ALL too often this season, Halifax coach Dave Harrison has been rendered speechless for all the wrong reasons.
But after last night's sensational final game victory over Yorkshire rivals Harrogate, Harrison was lost for words for all the right ones.
This was a win forged from Halifax sides of old – a display of passion, pride, determination and just downright doggedness.
So what if the players, coaching staff, club officials and supporters celebrated with as much gusto and back-slapping as if they had secured a title success?
After the season the club have endured, this small victory could take on massive significance in the overall scheme of things.
Halifax have got big decisions to make as to how they move forward. However, those decisions may well have to be put on the back burner for now after a result that has given everybody at Ovenden Park renewed optimism for the future.
"We have to say that for one reason or another we have had an awful season," said Harrison. "But, week after week, the endeavour has been there and it has just paid off in spades.
The workrate and commitment were phenomenal. We managed to get under Harrogate's skin and stay there.
"We kept going for the full 80 minutes and if anything we got stronger.
"I think Harrogate thought they could just turn up, which was to be expected, but they got a bit of a shock.
"We simply out-enthused them. All in all it was a good night for Halifax rugby club and they have deserved one.
"For some players it might have been a case of signing off, and if that is the case then they have done themselves and the club proud."
Full-back Iain Gordon should feel justly proud of himself. It was he, faced with a potentially match-winning penalty with five minutes to go, who secured the victory.
However, the foundations had already been laid by a team of players who worked themselves into the ground for this final act of defiance.
The omens hadn't looked good early on when the visitors overcame some initial harmless Halifax pressure to hit the front courtesy of prop Simon Davies's pushover try.
Harrogate continued to boss proceedings although Gareth Brear was unlucky not to capitalise on a Danny McGee break and kick through, full back Edward Smithies winning the footrace to rescue the situation close to his own line.
Any threat Harrogate posed was quickly snuffed out by some snappy Halifax tackling that earned them a number of turnovers.
Toby Turner then embarked on a run but he was forced into touch just before he got his pass away and Gordon pulled a first penalty attempt from 25 metres wide of the target.
That looked to have been costly as Harrogate took advantage of some slack Halifax work at a scrum, the ball falling loose and in acres of space for stand off James Murray to take his time in picking up and launching himself to the line for a 10-0 lead.
Gordon reduced that to 10-3 with a penalty from even further out than his first attempt as Halifax gave themselves foothold to build from.
And build from it they did in the second half as they overcame early Harrogate pressure, the defensive effort breeding confidence which resulted in an excellent try for winger Brear.
A good period of pressure where all of the pack really came into their own, had Harrogate frantically back-pedalling on a greasy surface and when Halifax spotted the opportunity to move the ball out wide, Brear was a willing carrier, his pace and determination taking him over wide out, Gordon's conversion attempt drifting across the face of the posts.
The longer the game went on the higher Halifax's levels of passion rose.
Props Adam Blades and Paul Turner tackled and protected the ball like men possessed while flankers Fraser Hall and Tom Whitehead threw themselves at everything that moved.
Dom Castle, restored to the scrum half spot, orchestrated the backs and there was a fire and a spirit to Halifax's play that smacked of players playing for pride and that finally brought a fitting reward.
When Harrogate were penalised with five minutes to go, Gordon stepped forward to take responsibility and did what he has been doing all season - and in all conditions - slotting his kick between the posts to signal the start of what became incredible scenes of emotion and celebration.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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