Yorkshire Division One: Bradford Salem 17 Old Crossleyans 19

BRADFORD Salem’s record against Old Crossleyans since they first met in the 1920s is frankly awful.

Of their 47 matches before this weekend’s, Salem had won only eight and Crocs 39, and the Bradford club fared little better in close contests, winning only three where the margin is seven points or fewer, while losing 16.

It was perhaps no surprise therefore that the hosts went down to a narrow defeat, annoying as it was.

Salem led 10-3 after 29 minutes and scored two tries to one overall but finished up being beaten 19-17, with Crossleyans full back Callum Dunne helping the visitors over the line with four penalties and a conversion.

“It was frustrating,” said Salem’s coach Neil Spence. “It was a good game in the conditions, particularly in the first half, and a good game of rugby for the neutral.

“We gave a much better performance overall than the previous week, and we tend to play better against the top teams, but we lost it because of a bit of ill-discipline in a game of fractions.”

On an afternoon of wind and rain where the skies darkened before being illuminated by floodlights, Crocs had first use of a diagonal wind that tended to blow towards the Heaton Woods corner of the pitch.

Salem hooker Gundars Griekis tried to sneak down the left wing before his inside pass was smuggled into touch, and then a subtle chip by Danny Belcher led to a penalty that the centre knocked over himself.

Dunne then landed an equalising kick after Salem were penalised in a scrum, but the full back’s kick went so high that some spectators wondered whether it had missed.

Referee Jeff Hudson (South Yorkshire Society) awarded it, however, and Salem responded well, with fly half Kristan Dobson putting them on the front foot with deep, left-footed kicks.

The hosts put their game together even better in the 29th minute when, after multiple phases, No 8 Mike MacDonald went over for a try that Hudson gave after close inspection.

Belcher’s conversion made it 10-3 but the visitors from Halifax levelled nine minutes later when centre Josh Hunt was the extra man on the right wing, his try being converted superbly by Dunne.

With wind and rain sending spectators scurrying into the stand, the floodlights came on at half-time, although the skies lightened after that.

A Dunne penalty five minutes into the second half put Crossleyans 13-10 in front, but Salem were still attacking with plenty of verve and energy, and they earned six successive penalties, three of which were crossed off as advantage was played.

The upshot was that Crocs No 8 Ryan Hammond was sin-binned in the 58th minute for cumulative team penalties.

Three minutes later, Belcher’s half-break almost put Moore away on the left, but they turned the screw again when lock Sam Savage went over from close range, with Belcher’s conversion making it 17-13.

The disappointment for Salem was that they then let the visitors back in, allowing Dunne to land penalties in the 66th and 70th minutes, although the latter decision against Griekis was a tad harsh.

Salem almost conceded a second try in the 74th minute when Salem full back Ryan Smith knocked on a high kick and had to be bailed out by Moore, who fly-hacked the ball into touch on the right.

Ultimately they never mounted the sustained assault that was needed against Crossleyans, who are now third, and Spence added: “The aim is promotion of course, but we don’t want to go up and then lose every game, which could rip the heart out of the club.”

More strength in depth is needed if Salem, currently eighth, are to challenge for the top places, and that will doubtless have to wait for next season.