IT WAS no dream start for Nuns on their return to National Two North as Mike Umaga’s side lost at Claro Road on Saturday.
But the scoreline was only half the story with Nuns turning in a positive performance to lead during the game only to slip away in the final quarter.
A poor kick off put the visitors immediately under pressure forcing a scrum in the centre of the park and within two minutes Harrogate’s Kyle Bench had romped over for the opening unconverted try.
Nuns were slow in finding their game and were punished again seven minutes later when a poor penalty kick was collected and returned, swift hands sending James Rothwell over for the second try.
The Liberty Way side were struggling to venture out of their own half and it was only a desperate try-saving tackle by Stephan Cooksammy that saved further embarrassment as the home side turned up the heat.
Nuns first serious attack came on 16 minutes but came to nothing as the ball was lost but on 22 minutes Adam Woodfield burst clear to romp through the weak home defence for the try, Lee Chapman adding the conversion.
An injury to Richard Johnson saw Umaga make changes in the backs and the pack and on 36 minutes some excellent play by the forwards saw them drive towards and across the home line, skipper Nick Smith emerging from the bottom of the pile to claim the try. Chapman’s conversion edged the visitors into the lead.
‘Gate hit back on the stroke of half time when James Broadley went through Nuns wing defence to score in the corner to regain the lead by a single point at the interval.
An early second half Nuns penalty rattled off the posts before Umaga’s side went down to 14 men, Kieran Collins judged guilty of a spear tackle although any home advantage was short-lived as their own Ed Smithies joined Collins in the bin to even up the numbers.
Lee Chapman put the Liberty Way side back in front with a perfectly struck penalty kick on 58 minutes but Nuns’ failed to build on their lead and it all went wrong in the final quarter as the home side added tries from Broadley, Robert Almond, Andy Enston and Alistair Chambers to the seal the victory in the last minute of the game.
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