SHELLSHOCKED Harrogate Rugby Union Club collapsed to a spectacular 36-31 defeat against Nottingham at Claro Road - after holding a 28-point advantage, writes Peter Vine.
Not for the first time in National League One rugby this season, 'Gate squandered what appeared to be an unassailable lead.
At 31-3 there looked to be only one winner with scrum half Mark Farrar leading the way with a hat-trick of tries. Lee Feurer added another try and Neil James kicked four conversions and a penalty with Chris Atkinson slotting over a penalty in reply.
Winger Mark Holland started the Nottingham comeback with the first of his two tries and slowly Harrogate came apart at the seams as scrum half Alan Royer crossed for a try and lock Michael Brookes added another from a rolling maul. Atkinson added the rest of the points with his boot.
Goole also bounced back after conceding two early penalties against Selby to win 20-16. Goole full back Richard Ruhmann score two tries, Neil Cawood one and James Ruhmann added a penalty and a conversion.
Selby's only try came from winger Phil Redfern with Carl Patterson added the conversion to go with three penalty kicks.
Malton and Norton, from Yorkshire One, suffered a 22-15 home defeat against Scarborough, who are ranked one division lower.
Malton did score three tries through winger Dave Woodhouse, prop Tom Eddy and hooker Ed Gwilliam, but Boro crossed four times thanks to Ian Warwick (2), Carl Holdsworth and Phil Barker, who added the only conversion of the match.
York RI were beaten 18-13 by Baildon in a club match at New Lane, RI scoring tries through Dave Moore and Phil Ambler, who added a penalty. Baildon scored three unconverted tries and a penalties.
Nestle Rowntree had a comprehensive 41-17 win at Castleford 3rd XV after leading 12-4 at half-time.
The game was reduced to uncontested scrums after the break when Castleford lost a prop forward and were reduced to 14 men.
Rowntree cashed in on their numerical advantage and ran in seven tries from Steve Varey (2), Ashley Walters (2), Dave Sowray, Mick Wilkinson and Joff Sowray, Varey adding the rest with his kicks.
Wetherby beat Harrogate's Development team 42-25 at Grange Park with tries by James Henson (2), Shaun Walsh, Wayne Pawson, James Dalglish and Simon Martin doing the damage. Martin added three conversions and two penalties. Harrogate replied with a hat-trick of tries by No 8 Ross Hanley and a try by Gordon Ayom from a tap penalty move.
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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