1 Steve Tagg Phil Sutcliffe
2 Andy Powers Bay Travel
3 Mike Bradshaw Available
4 James Robinson Carpet and Floorcare
5 Harry Fellows Available
6 Sam Wallbank SJB Tiling Ltd
7 Jack Ayrton Allan Entwistle
8 Raun Fourie George Dickson
9 Billy Swarbrick The Alies
10 Alex Briggs Jilly Beads
11 Olly Jacques Online Systems
12 Fergus Owens Ron Higgin
13 Damon Hall AJB Electrical
14 Blake Steele Duncan Hall Financial Services
15 Chris Ramwell Martin Woodhouse
16 James Hesketh Mathews Benjamin/ Fine and Country
17 Adam Foxcroft Mathews Benjamin/Fine and Country.
18 Will Hunt Mathews Benjamin/Fine and Country

Harrogate last visited Powderhouse Lane for a league fixture was in November 1991 when they defeated Vale of Lune in a Division Four North game, 15-10, in a season which saw the Vale relegated. In those twenty seven years gallons of water have rushed between their respective bridges, but by far the largest wave came in the 1995/96 season, it was the one that brought in its wake the concept of rugby union becoming a professional game for those clubs who wished to lash their colours to this particular mast.
However, the game, once the whistle blows has remained fundamentally the same with passion, pride, commitment being the driving forces but there is also disappointment at the final outcome and in this category the Vale find themselves after failing to secure or even build on their half time lead of 35-17, yes 35-17!
The wise words in the proverb “What you have you hold!” were cast aside like a spent firework case as the Vale saw the vision of their first league victory explode before their eyes. There is almost certain to be a post mortem and a great deal of head scratching, if not head banging, but thankfully there is a break in league action until November 17 when the Vale travel to Sandal, plenty of time therefore to dissect where it all went so badly wrong.
At times the Vale did contribute to their own downfall, trying to force the pace without adequate support and back up, with players becoming isolated and falling prey to a very well organised Harrogate side. There were times when the Vale needed to stick the ball up their jerseys, put adventure on the back burner and be more pragmatic in their approach; the game plan that worked so well in the first half was snuffed out in the second by Harrogate who by then had the measure of the Vale.
A current blight on the game surrounds uncontested scrums, the law, intended to protect the safety of players, is open to interpretation and when it came into force in the second half because of injuries and players in the sin bin, yellow cards for prop Steve Tagg and replacement Will Hunt were problematic, the Vale seemed more confused and disjointed, while Harrogate, who had been embroiled in similar circumstances at Kirkby Lonsdale the previous week, just got on with things.
There was some consolation for the Vale because they picked up bonus points of the try and losing variety, but if Oscar Wilde had witnessed such a turn round he might well have observed, “To be leading at half time may be regarded as advantageous but to end up losing looks like carelessness.”
With the wind at their backs the Vale quickly had the scoreboard rattling with Chris Ramwell bagging the first of his side’s five tries. Flanker Jack Ayrton carved his way through, the ball was quickly transferred cross field, Chris Ramwell darted into the line for the swiftest of tries converted by Damon Hall.
Two minutes later the Vale were at it again when centre Damon Hall intercepted a pass to sprint fifty five metres for a solo try which he converted from in front. Harrogate, who finished third in North Premier last season, recovered from this opening barrage with a converted try in the ninth minute. Skipper, Danny Matthews, a hugely influential player who was wearing a Lone Ranger mask, helped to ambush the Vale just outside their twenty two before completing the attack without any assistance from Tonto. Centre Nathan Wyman, who is the grandson of Mike Stevenson, a most highly respected former rugby correspondent for the national press,who was a regular visitor to Powderhouse Lane, put over the conversion.
This set back did not affect the Vale who went further ahead in the fourteenth minute with another well constructed move. Damon Hall broke clear but lock James Robinson was in close attendance to take his pass for a try which Damon Hall converted.
It had been an eye catching opening first quarter but there were signs of Harrogate’s potential when they compressed the Vale deep in their own half. Stand-off Alex Briggs boomed a huge kick down field to relieve some of the pressure but in the twenty third minute Harrogate’s forwards had the Vale on the rack from a line out which allowed prop Steve Maycock to tunnel his way over for an unconverted try.
As an exhilarating contest moved into the final ten minutes three more colourful globes shot out of the Roman Candle. Vale forward pressure increased after Ruan Fourie had spearheaded an attack that brought in its wake a first try for prop Mike Bradshaw which Damon Hall converted.
Harrogate responded two minutes later with try from prop Andy Boyle wide out on the left, Nathan Wyman’s conversion attempt shaved an upright but failed to go over.
Vale came back strongly Damon Hall hoofed the ball downfield, Olly Jacques caught a Harrogate player by surprise and forced him to carry over. With the Vale in the ascendancy Alex Briggs lit the blue touch paper with a flicked pass to Damon Hall who dotted the ball down for his brace and put over the conversion in the thirty seventh minute.
Earlier in the week it had been trick or treat night, certainly Vale’s supporters had experienced numerous first half tit-bits but they were to have some unpractical jokes heaped on them beginning in the fifty seventh minute when referee Hurdley awarded Harrogate a penalty try after the Vale had unsuccessfully tried to dampen down the fires.
Straight from the restart the Vale were caught napping when winger Andrew Lawson collected the ball to pelt through Vale’s flimsy cover for a try converted by Nathan Wyman.
It had been a shocking start for the Vale but their hopes were lifted in the sixty third minute when Damon Hall drilled a forty metre penalty goal through the wind before the game became rather messy but Harrogate always looked the more comfortable.
As far as the Vale were concerned the danger lights were flashing as Harrogate began to tighten their grip on the game and in the seventy eighth minute they drew level with a try from Nathan Wyman wide on the left which he converted.
Vale struggled to find any relief or composure but any thoughts of the clock coming to their rescue disappeared in the seventy ninth minute when Andrew Lawson scored his second try against a tired looking Vale defence and with the first fireworks echoing in the distance Nathan Wyman kicked the conversion.
Forget about ghosts and ghouls, this was a pretty harrowing experience of rocky horror proportions, and for some the bedroom light will have to be left on for a few days to let the nerves settle, thus providing the opportunity for swot up on the RFU Regulations, Appendix 2, Adult Competitions, paragraph 15, relating to uncontested scrums. Sleep tight. Next up Sandal on November 17.
Many thanks to Tony North for the excellent photographs.