Newcastle University 2 Ben Rhydding 4

BEN Rhydding survived a scare at Newcastle as they found themselves two goals down at half- time but a remarkable turn around in the second -half, aided to a degree by Newcastle pressing the self destruct button, saw Rhydding convert four goals to keep them top of the league.

There was an emotional start to the game as both sides observed a minute’s silence in memory of Rhydding stalwart, Dot Mainwaring, who had taught Rhydding’s Neil Sugden and was a close friend of coach Demi Dowley.

Rhydding then set about what some may have regarded as an easy game and certainly the first ten minutes saw the Ilkley side looking dangerous and in charge.

Newcastle, with Rhydding’s own Kieran Borrett shining at right midfield for them, were not going to lie down and, from pretty much their first attack, gained a slightly fortuitous short corner which Dave Exley, who played with the calm authority Rhydding have come to expect, unfortunately deflected past the helpless Dave Carter in goal.

Rhydding then went off the boil and Newcastle looked increasingly dangerous as Carter was forced to make a couple of crucial saves. On the stroke of half-time Newcastle’s centre-forward scored a brave deflected goal to put the home side firmly in control and leave Rhydding staring at a huge upset.

Coach, Dowley, and manager, Mark French, made changes at the break in an effort to save the game. Alex White slipped into inside right and brought some stability to the midfield where Jon Clough and Dave McNally began to take control.

They moved the enigmatic Andrew Parkes to left wing where he began to unsettle the Newcastle defence, along with the strong running of Mark Wilson, as Luke Lambert began to find his touch at centre-forward and Sam French, who had looked dangerous in the first-half, made some telling runs on the right flank.

It was on one of these runs that French, who every week experiences some pretty rough treatment from teams struggling to cope with his pace, was adjudged to have been deliberately fouled as he looked to set up a golden opportunity for Lambert or Parkes to strike.

The resulting penalty flick may have seemed harsh to the university side but they did not help themselves by losing not only the tackler but another player for verbals to the sin bin.

French calmly put the stroke away and Rhydding then went for the jugular putting a full and aggressive press on the nine remaining students. Goals had to come and did when French converted a drag flick short corner to level the scores.

Parkes was desperately unlucky to see his clever deflection well saved before pouncing on a looping ball to put Rhydding ahead.

Even when back to full strength Newcastle no longer looked the threat they had been in the first-half. Rhydding’s defence, for whom skipper Craig Smith and vice Steve Mitchell were immense, started to develop wave after wave of attacks from the back with Danny Foster, man-of-the-match, showing skill and speed to link down the right with the forwards.

A further short corner from which White with great speed of thought released Foster to bury a fourth, and two further sin bins for the university side saw Rhydding win the game comfortably in the end.

Rhydding’s nearest rivals for promotion, Wakefield, suffered a defeat but Rhydding should not concern themselves with the fate of other sides as their destiny is firmly in their own hands.

They face two tricky home games in a row against Hull and Durham University, both of whom the Ilkley side drew with in the away matches before Christmas and with Sugden looking to be out with a knee injury for the season and Dave Cutter not yet back after his knee injury the squad will need to be on top form to maintain their league topping status.