Sat 7 Jan 2023, 14:15
As a result of the Christmas break, weather and pitch conditions, the only activities that had taken place in the fortress of Ordsall Road for 5 weeks were social. The squad assembled, the skies cleared and the sun came out ready for the encounter with Ashfield, a team that had comprehensively beaten Retford earlier in the season. The cobwebs needed blowing out, and fast, to avoid a similar fate.
Our impressive pack took this on board, as the green and gold put together the best half of rugby of the season, against the formidable opponents. From the first kick received Retford were composed as we exited and built pressure. Strong carries from the deceptively dynamic front three of Matt Watt, Harry Salathiel and James Wright kept us on the front foot. Our half-backs Ollie Breedon and Jack Jenkins directed traffic and made sure we were playing in the right areas, looking fantastic while doing so.
Unfortunately, we couldn't cross the line. Errors seemingly only crept into our game from 5 meters out. This released the pressure. Thankfully we had the returning Silky Ben Silcock, who would soar through the skies securing kicks and stepping any onrushing defenders. This delighted the boisterous Silcock contingent on the touchline, rivalling that of the Breedon Clan.
Ashfield were starting to get a foothold in the game and some good play brought them up to the Retford try line. Stoic defence from the chest-beating choughs prevented any damage on the score sheet. The forward pack holding strong with the formidable Paul Barret and Mark Gillam anchoring the scrum, while the back row of Dave Ruzicka, Henry Sly and Keelan Ward, like the bulls of Pamplona, hit everything with Red on. The backline employed a rush defence catching any wide attack early, with Greg Wood and Adam Fenney ruffling some feathers in the process. Johnny Severn and Alfie Kay worked tirelessly on the wings, shutting down the Ashfield runners and amazingly still being able to cover the attacking kicks.
Eventually, a penalty try was conceded from the scrum, which also resulted in a yellow card. 0-7 to Ashfield. Despite conceding, Retford were not disheartened and continued to play with confidence, albeit signs of fatigue were starting to show. A mistake at the lineout leads to an interception and an easy run-in for Ashfield’s second. Halftime 0-12 Ashfield. All to play for following a very tight first half.
The exploits of the match were having their effects, the sherry and stuffing inevitably caught up and heavy legs got the better of us from what had been a determined and accomplished performance so far. The following 40 minutes did not go as well as the first, mistakes were creeping in and tackles started to slip. Ashfield managed to run 5 tries in the second half taking the game out of sight and the final score of 0-41 to Ashfield was well deserved.
Retford should be proud of the performance, and the attitude shown after an extended break. The result wasn’t what we hoped for but shows a good improvement from earlier in the season.
MOM went to Ollie Breedon for controlling the game well from 9 and keeping the defence on their toes around the breakdown. Special mention also to Henry Sly for his relentless defence all game.
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