Last-gasp penalty leaves Ripon players with heads in hands

Ripon hosted Wath Upon Dearne, and managed to turn a 6-21 half time score into a 30-31 loss in the final moment of the game.

The weather conditions favoured Wath for their preferred style of one-up runners to bludgeon their way through. Ripon looked to play a more sophisticated style to attack around the opposition’s edges, but fell afoul of their rigid defensive alignment.

This week saw 11 changes from last week’s squad, with five recalls from previous absences.

The game started with Wath kicking deep and the hosts recycling to get out quickly, though a ruck indiscretion within a few seconds gave the visitors the advantage from their first penalty. Play progressed and Wath pressed home for their first try after three minutes. With the conversion, the visitors led 0-7. Ripon replied after seven minutes when Bray kicked a penalty goal for 3-7.

Penalties were exchanged, with varying degrees of success for both sides. At 12 minutes, Wath reacted to a disorganised scrum and shifted the ball left and scored in the corner for an unconverted try for 3-12.

The rest of the first half saw Bray add to his Ripon points tally with a further penalty goal and three replies from the visitors for the half time score of 6-21.

The second half saw some new energy and aggression to the Ripon forward play and the backs’ running. The third quarter saw both sides going at each other relentlessly and the Ripon set pieces growing in confidence. Against the run of play, Wath snatched an opportunity to get back in the game and through some patiently built phases, scored a further converted try to take the score to 6-28.

On the cusp of the final quarter, from a penalty line out, quick ball saw Tom Graham make good ground before recycling left again. From Thompson, Evans appeared in space to feed Wray to use his pace on the outside. Not an easy run in but with some fancy footwork, the winger weaved through the opposition to touch down. Bray’s conversion was assisted by the woodwork and took the score to 13-28.

Next up was Barker to cross the line after Perez and Anderson had weakened the defence. The conversion in front of the posts was a formality for Bray and the scoreline went to 20-28. Halfway through the final quarter, Bray’s penalty goal from a tackle offence reduced the deficit to 23-28 and Ripon started to play like they could win.

From a rehearsed move, Perez set for the crash ball and burst his way through the defence to score Ripon’s third try and level the scores. Bray’s conversion nudged Ripon in front to 30-28 with five minutes left.

Ripon threw everything they had into attack and defence, but the cruel blow came at 43 minutes when the penalty goal offer was taken by Wath. The score shifted to 30-31 and as the final whistle blew, Ripon were left with their heads in hands.

The side next play on October 14 away to Hemsworth, kick off 3pm.