HUNSLET CLUB PARKSIDE MARCH ON AT DEWSBURY CELTIC

DEWSBURY CELTIC 0 HUNSLET CLUB PARKSIDE 60
NATIONAL CONFERENCE LEAGUE DIVISION 2 @ CROW NEST PARK
4 JUNE 2016 --- 2.30PM

ACTION FROM CROW NEST PARK

Hunslet Club Parkside stormed to a too nil victory and made it 10 wins out of 10 as they overpowered Dewsbury Celtic at Crow Nest Park on a warm afternoon.  The 80 minutes produced 11 tries and also mustered 7 conversions from Jamie Fields, the other one from Andy Hullock.
[as ever the players are taken from the team sheets on some occasions last seasons they did not always tally so hopefully today we will credit the correct player]
So here we are back in Yorkshire after last weeks football finished with Beeston in the West Yorkshire League Premier Division game featuring St Anthony's v Carlton Athletic and its time to take up summer sports.  After the bank holiday T20 cricket at Eckington it was time to dip back into my favourite The National Conference League which over the previous 2 seasons has provided some good entertainment as well as quite a few interesting clubs to visit.
Journey to Kirkgate today was disturbed by a cancelled Northern train so the blog ended up changing at Sheffield and arriving via an all stopping train at Wakefield Westgate.  This allowed a quick hop over the road to pick up the '268a' service to todays destination Dewsbury.  I wont go through a descriptor again of Dewsbury because it has been covered on a few occasions previously indeed todays Celtic game completes the set with Dewsbury Rams, Dewsbury Moor Maroons and Shaw Cross Sharks already visited for a game recently.

CELTIC'S CLUB HOUSE

Having departed we approached the Westtown district of Dewsbury and climbed the steep incline to the row of shops that proceeds The Dewsbury Irish National League Club which from the outside is looking well lived in but within is a spacious and smart affair with as usual a fantastic collection of historical pictures adorning the walls.  Below the club are the changing rooms which front out of the building.  We called in for a light refreshment and then went in search of todays teams which we managed to obtain with thanks to Hunslet and then Michelle the fixtures secretary of Celtic.

CELTIC WARM UP

The history of the club stems back to the mid 1800's when Irish mill workers and labourers came to work in the mills and surrounding areas and based themselves in Westtown and a rugby club followed before a slight diversion into football and then back to Rugby.  Originally playing as Shamrocks they changed their name in around 1910 to Celtic.  The pitch is reached from the back of the club car park via a large wooden gate which leads onto a track that takes you up to the pitch 5 minutes walk away.

SURROUNDING VIEWS

The pitch is situated  in a park and is railed off on 3 sides with grass standing on all 4 sides although the far side is a narrower verge with tarmac standing at the rear being part of the parks footpath.  The ground offers some commanding views of the surrounding area and on todays clear skyline nearby Ossett's large Holy Trinity Church can be seen.

HUNSLET CLUB MATCH SHIRTS READY FOR ACTION

We were well in time to watch both teams warm up and they were looking up for the battle.  Mick had gone off in search of conversation and amazingly managed to catch up with a gentleman who remembered us from the Ossett football derby 2 seasons ago and then a Carlton Athletic player who had played in last Saturdays previously mentioned game.

RICHARD TILLOTSON OF CELTIC TRIES TO FORCE HIS WAY THROUGH

The game started at a fair old pace for the visitors who were took the lead as early as the 5th minute when Dale Harris went over for Jamie Fields to convert.  This being a park Celtic rely on people buying a programme and hopefully a raffle ticket too and with a healthy crowd of around 150 I hope people supported the club.  As at Shaw Cross Sharks club officials come round with programmes and we made our way to the lady who was travelling round the inner rail of the ground to secure ours, thankfully we didn't win the raffle as we could not have carried the alcohol back on the train!

PROGRAMMES AND RAFFLE 'YES PLEASE'

The early shock for Celtic did seem to bring them to life and although they had possession they could not break down Hunslet and it was the visitors who stormed away to a 20-0 half time lead thanks to tries from Fields, Omar Alwari and Jake Corney two of the three were converted and it was looking all too comfortable a result.

The second half went much the same way with Parkside piling on a further 40 points without reply.  Tries for Jack Carille, Adam Biscombe, Andy Hullock x 2, Luke O'Mally, Jamie Bradley and Harris for his second.  With half a dozen converted by Fields and the first one of the half by Hullock while Fields was off the pitch.
From a neutral point of view it was a one sided game that doesn't always make the best of viewing but this Hunslet side will take some stopping they looked stronger all over the pitch and it would only have been a lapse of concentration that would have allowed Dewsbury any points on the board today.  Dewsbury will go again and I'm sure be more competitive against teams in and around the in the table but for Hunslet barring a slip they are looking odds on for the top of the table.

CARL BRIGGS OBSERVES

The return was swift at the final whistle with a bus back to Wakefield leaving at just after 20 past 4 and thankfully the steep downhill [!] journey got us into the town's bus station with 10 minutes to spare.
Back in the familiar surrounds of Kirkgate station, even though big monies have been spent on the fascia it is still not an attractive proposition for the travelling public, we awaited the 1723 that was soon on platform 2 and around an hour later we were departing at base station just over the border from Yorkshire.
Good to be back watching some rugby league and interesting club with a rich history at Dewsbury Celtic but today on the field was just not going to be their day against such strong opposition who look favourites for the title.