Given their much changed team Wetherby would have been pleased in the end to come away with a draw. In fact they should have won but failed to put the game away in the last 10 minutes.

Promoted Stocksbridge have had a great season and have the lowest points scored against them in the league. They started off at a cracking pace playing downhill with the wind behind them. Within 10 minutes they had built up a 10 point lead. They launched the ball high into the wind and it ended up only a couple of yards from Wetherby's line. Nothing came from the lineout but a scrum to Stocksbridge followed and their scrum half scored when Wetherby missed a tackle. This was followed by a penalty.

With the home crowd baying for more Wetherby silenced them with some great handling the put Andy Trotman in sight of the line and with a superb hand off of his opposite number he scored. The hosts again kicked well to the corner and yet again from a scrum they broke through the Red's defence from short range to score.

Wetherby responded well with their backs and the Red's scrum had become dominant. The threes were short of Sheriden, Oates, Dus and Hardy but Liam Hogan filling in at centre rewarded the selectors with an excellent try from some distance out using his undoubted strength. Trotman obliged with the conversion. However the hosts responded immediately with a converted try to lead at half time 22-12.

With the wind behind them Wetherby began to control the game more.
Up front Bradley Mason and Elliott Griffiths were most effective Griffiths in particular causing problems with strong bursts. It took them 10 minutes into the half to score . Their scrum dominance enabled the Reds to attack and after thrusts by James Gibson and George Gilbert the ball was spun out to Andy Trotman who scored out wide.

Poor kicking by Wetherby resulted in a loss of momentum and Stocksbridge managed to quell Wetherby's attacks for a while. Finally they got their act together and from a maul 15 yards out George Gilbert shot down the blind side and handed on to Nick Oates who put young Will Jefferson away to the corner to touch down despite the attention of 3 defenders. With the scores level and Stocksbridge down to 14 men Wetherby wasted the chance to pull off a victory though the uncontested scrums did not help the Reds nullifying their superior scrummaging.

So there is one final league game at home to Ossett next Saturday
which Wetherby will want to win to avenge their defeat at the beginning of the season.