Yorkshire Men’s League: Rangers are dominant

They blew away the dark cloud of the previous week’s Elland defeat with a dominant performance against opponents fresh from a successful Pennine League campaign.

Rangers, who had only influential half-back Troy Ambler and loose forward Ben Wrightson missing, took the game to the visitors from the off in front of another big crowd,

Front row pair Lee Robson and Ronnie Bailey laid the platform for the new half-back combination of Jamie Barraclough and Karl Frankland to provide plenty of quality ball for the three-quarters, who scored all eight Rangers’ tries.

A beautiful miss out pass from Frankland put winger Lewis Taylor in for the first of his four tries.

Andy Esmond then cantered in under the sticks following good work from the returning Ben Waud.

Taylor raced in again at the corner after slick passing gave him space on the edge.

King Cross rallied before half time and scored a good try, but Rangers responded quickly. Sam Moon almost scored after a 60 yard charge before Jordan Sild rumbled over from close range.

After the break, King Cross briefly stemmed the flow, but Esmond scored again with a long range effort.

With Rangers down to 12 men, King Cross nicked another try, but Brighouse always seemed to have the upper hand and found weakness down the flanks of a now tiring Park.

Superb flowing rugby was the order of the day now the Rangers pack had established a platform, classy winger Taylor scoring his third and fourth tries and Sild adding a second close to the end.

Young stars Lucas Birts and the ever-improving Will Clerehugh caught the eye with Clerehugh picking up man of the match with a mature performance at hooker.

The day was also marked by the return of a Brighouse A team playing a friendly against Greetland, the first time Rangers have fielded two open age sides on the same day for five years.

It was also a red letter day for Greetland, making their long-awaited return to the local rugby scene under new coaches Jamie Bloem and Andy Hobson.

The All-Rounders dominated throughout and chalked up their first score in the fifth minute, young prop Myles Sugden crossing after a great break by man-of the match Dion Groombridge. Jordan Whippey converted.

Ex-Newsome hooker Connor Mathieson was next to score on 25 minutes, following Luke Sugden’s barnstorming break, Ben Iveson converting.

Luke Sugden crossed for a try, goaled by Whippey, as Greetland played with confidence, well led by captain Danny Wilkinson and veteran midfield general Alan Hindle.

A Ben Fleming try, followed by Iveson’s touch line conversion, took the interval score to 24-0.

Sam Robinson, Max Hallsworth and Whippoey put further daylight between the teams before Brighouse winger Joe Campbell scooped up a loose ball on his own line and went the length of the field for a consolation score which he converted.

The All-Rounders had the final word when Mathieson crossed for his second try from a close-in.