Ealing Trailfinders vs Yorkshire Carnegie

Match Report

Ealing Trailfinders were left with an 18-point deficit to make up when they travel to Headingley Carnegie Stadium next Friday after Yorkshire Carnegie ran in four tries to take the lead in the Greene King IPA Championship play-off semifinal at Vallis Way on Friday.

Will Harries and Curtis Wilson ran in tries in the second half, but by then Carnegie had already scored three tries in a nine-minute spell midway through the first half that gave them control of the match that they didn’t relinquish.

Harries also had a late effort referred to the TMO, but he ruled the he had been held up in goal and that was the last action on a frustrating night for Ben Ward’s team.

After the early exchanges when Joe Munro, Curtis Wilson and Kieran Murphy relished taking the play to Yorkshire, Rory Clegg opened the scoring with a penalty.

However, it didn’t take the visitors long to hit their stride and after Ben West and Matt Smith had carried well, Jonah Holmes ran in his first.

Three minutes later he scored his second when the bounce of the ball went his way and left him free to race clear. Alex Davies then made it three in nine minutes after he popped up on Joe Ford’s shoulder after the fly-half had intercepted in midfield and raced clear.

With the momentum with them Ford popped over a drop-goal as the half wore down and then opened the second half scoring with a penalty.

Just before the hour mark Ealing Trailfinders rallied and turned the momentum their way. Wings Phil Chesters and Wilson were stopped short of the line, but then Harries took advantage of a loose Ford clearance to race back, leave five men in his wake and score.

Wilson then forced his way over in the corner after the pack had begun to dominate the scrums.

Carnegie had the last word though as number 8 Ryan Burrows raced in off the back of a scrum before Harries made one last effort on the Yorkshire line.

Scorers
Ealing Trailfinders
Tries (Harries 57, Wilson 68), Penalties (Clegg 9, 63)
Yorkshire Carnegie
Tries (Holmes 22, 25, Davies 31, Burrows 76), Conversions (Ford 23, 26, 32, 77), Penalties (Ford 52), Drop Goal (Ford 36)

Ealing Trailfinders
Will Harries, Curtis Wilson, Lewis Jones, Joe Munro, Phil Chesters, Rory Clegg, Luke Carter; James Gibbons, Alun Walker, Lewis Thiede, Barney Maddison, Glen Townson, Kieran Murphy, Rayn Smid, Mark Bright (captain)
Reserves
Matt Cornish, Will Davis, Alex Penny, Harry Casson, Arthur Ellis, Alex Walker, Aaron Penberthy

Yorkshire Carnegie
Chris Elder, Jonah Holmes, Andy Forsyth, Peter Lucock, Steve McColl, Joe Ford, Alex Davies; Lewis Boyce, Phil Nilsen, Sione Faletau, Ben West, Matt Smith, Ollie Stedman, Richard Mayhew, Ryan Burrows (captain)
Reserves
Mike Mayhew, Mike Cusack, Matt Beesley, Mike Myerscough, Richard Beck, Max Green, Max Wright

Referee – Ian Tempest
Attendance – 966