DEWSBURY MOOR FALL TO THORNHILL'S FIRST HALF DISPLAY

DEWSBURY MOOR MAROONS 24 V THORNHILL 38
NATIONAL CONFERENCE LEAGUE 3 AT HECKMONDWIKE RD 2.30-PM 13 JUNE 2015

AN OVERVIEW OF PROCEEDINGS AT HECKMONDWIKE RD

Thornhill climbed into second place thanks to a storming first half display that saw them secure a 38 to 24 victory, but Moors could only wish they had performed as well as they proceeded to do in the second half were they secured a 12-6 score line in their favour.
With the weather being the major concern at base with heavy overnight rain and continuing downpours in the morning the previous evenings planning had highlighted 7 possible games depending on the weather forecast and the clubs own information.  Since the winter football was over I thought the blog had left behind the worry of possible cancellation due to the weather!

DEWSBURY TOWN HALL

Having set off to base train station I had every intention of going to Leeds and picking a game up there but while traveling into the rail station 5 of the 7 clubs seemed unable to even advertise their game on Twitter never mind anything else.  I have said before some of the clubs are very poor at advertising their games they all have twitter accounts and just don't seem to use them to their advantage.  Thankfully Dewsbury Moor Maroons had posted a nice little tweet advertising todays game, cost of admission, programme etc.  So on that alone I opted to make a first visit to the club and indeed the town.  Well done Moors here was one extra supporter today and hopefully others picked up on your publicity too.
A change at Sheffield and then at Wakefield Kirkgate which finally has its main entrance open again, although work continues on the station still.  A walk into the city to the bus station takes any traveller on probably one of the most depressing and shocking entrances to any city I think I have made from derelict buildings to dubious narrow dark underpasses, once Kirkgate station is complete you can only hope this approach to Wakefield is improved.

THE MOOR'S CLUB HOUSE

Onwards to Dewsbury via the aquamarine special, 268a, as we wind down into Dewsbury it is a familiar site to anybody who as visited a West Yorkshire mill town although here the buildings look to have a clean stone facia to them.  After a quick enquiry about a bus that passes the ground I'm informed its the 254 to Leeds but I have just missed one but another will be along in just under half an hour.  So a quick hop around the town sadly doesn't leave me enough time to do it any justice save for a quick picture of the commanding town hall, a look at the minster and wander around the functional shopping centre.  Unusually Dewsbury saw its Mcdonalds close in 2014 but by the bus station its still easily visible with its olive green colour scheme, the building now occupied by 'big discount store'.  Dewsbury has a few famous people born within its town from Andrew Gale [Yorkshire CCC captain], Betty Boothroyd [former speaker] and with massive relevance Eddie Waring.  Time passed quickly and the blog was soon on the climb out to Dewsbury Moor through its highly perched council housing estates and with the cream painted club house in sight it was time to alight.  Dewsbury is also home to Dewsbury Celtic a club I passed on the walk back to town at the end of the game and Dewsbury Rams on the Ossett side of the town as ever West Yorkshire sees rugby league as its number 1 sport.

NICE BIT OF MEMROBILLIA THE FORD TRANSIT MINIBUS

The club house entrance sits snuggly to the edge of Heckondwike Rd as it climbs still further away from the town.  The building is nestled into the bank with the top level giving up an attractive well stocked function room and bar with the usual wide variety of memorabilia.  From the bar area is a balcony offering excellent view over the surrounding area and down to the pitches a couple of hundred yards below.
Following a refreshing lemonade I reversed my steps through the main entrance and down via the car park and onto Cornfields the 'road' that leads down to the main pitch of the Maroons.

THE CROWD IS COMING!

Having paid my £2.50 and been advised the programmes were not there just yet I wandered off to take a few pictures.  To the left is a raised bank with room for a row of car parking, the dug outs are positioned either side of the pitch opposite one another behind the far posts is a second pitch. 

MEMORIAL STONE PITCHSIDE

The pitch is railed but with grass standing all around, behind the posts by our entrance is further car parking and to the rear and through the security fencing over the lane is a further pitch that Dewsbury use.  Programme collected, a nice little effort it is too and its was time to have a selection of confectionery from the snack bar which is housed in an industrial container by the pitch side.
It was nice to have a little chat with one of the coaching team for a few minutes before the game and he was able to tell me a little more about the club and how they hope to build a new club house behind the posts were you enter the ground, this would clearly be a good development bringing everything on site as now the players have to walk down Cornfield from their changing rooms to the pitch although this does add to the atmosphere sometimes as players and supporters mix.

SOME GOOD SENTIMENTS

So to the game and with both teams riding high and the enticing local derby feel about this game, with Thornhill making the short couple of miles journey into Dewsbury a lot was expected.  Indeed by the time we kicked off their was I would guess approaching 250 in attendance and what was becoming a warm afternoon.  A little disappointingly the maroons were playing in their away kit of black and white and Thornhill were in their home strip of maroon and white

THORNHILL ON THE ATTACK

[As ever any names used are from the team sheet and allocated numbers]
Dewsbury struggled to cope with the power of Thornhill in the first period they were 6-0 down in two minutes and following and converted further try 10-0 behind after 8 minutes.  Dewsbury pulled back a try with a conversion but it was the visitors who increased the margin of their lead and reached the 25 minute mark 32-6 to the good.  On the stroke of half time Dewsbury kept themselves in the game when Jamie Samme got over for Jacob Flathers to convert, half time 12-32.

FIRST HALF TRY FOR THORNHILL

 The second half remained pointless until the 67th minute when Joel Gibson broke through to pop over and then get up to convert.

SECOND HALF ATTACK FROM DEWSBURY MOORS

 Dewsbury were feeling a little hard done by now because they had certainly been more than a match in the second period for Thornhill and with tries and conversions on 72 and 78 minutes their sheer determination and never giving in attitude pulled the score line back at the whistle to 24-38.
This result saw Thornhill move up to second in the table and you would have to admit they bossed the first period and were commanding what went wrong in the second half for them I would have to leave to the experts, I guess they relaxed and with full credit to Dewsbury they never gave in and it made for a closer game than it may have been after the first 40 minutes.

THE BALLS IN THERE SOMEWHERE

Upon departure the blog got talking to a local chap who was at his first game he goes in the club house but had never seen a game I think he enjoyed it and hopefully will be back for some more.  Without repeating the blogs mantra The NCL is a hidden gem that some clubs need to do more to promote its a great afternoons entertainment for around £2.50-£3 at most clubs with a programme included at most grounds.
Well done to Dewsbury Moor Maroons the result may have been wrong today but you have an impressive little club with some enthusiastic officials and supporters.
The reverse journey was taken by foot and down hill, so the correct choice to bus it out up hill!  Some nice views over the valley an a lofty view over the town as a successful return to the bus station was made and then a quick trip back to Wakefield and Kirkgate started our train journey back to base.

NOT OUR RETURN TRAIN BUT HERES THE
1743 GRAND CENTRAL SERVICE TO BRADFORD