Heartbreak for Hollinwood

RUGBY LEAGUE
HOLLINWOOD felt as if their pockets had been picked after an agonising 20-19 defeat at Burley Lions in Division Five of the Pennine League.

Leading by a point with seconds left on the clock, the visitors thought they had done enough to claim an important victory.

However, the Ilkley-based outfit landed a penalty, with the referee blowing for full-time the moment the ball looped over the crossbar.

Hollinwood had 13 players for the trip to West Yorkshire, but they got off to a terrific start with Steve Hubbert finishing off a good passing move with a try in the corner. Andy Gorey added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.

Burley responded with a try, but Hollinwood were on the mark again in the early stages of the second half.

Man-of-the match Pete Jackson made one of his many breaks from inside his own half.

He kicked the ball down field, where Gorey booted it towards the line and won the chase to touch down by the sticks.

The conversion was straightforward to leave Hollinwood clutching a 12-4 advantage.

Burley came back with a try for 12-8, but playing their best rugby for some time, the local outfit were soon in the ascendancy again.

This time Pete Davies side-stepped several tacklers to increase the lead, with Gorey landing the extras.

Burley retaliated with their third try of the afternoon.

Then came a crucial passage of play in the game.

From the restart Gorey launched the kick into the in-goal area.

The referee claimed the ball had gone out of play on the full and awarded the home team a penalty.

Hollinwood disputed the call and the officials the sent the players back another 10 yards.

From another penalty Burley went in to level up the scores at 18-18.

Gorey dropped a goal to edge Hollinwood in front and a deserved victory was on the cards, only for Burley to break their hearts with a penalty.

Warren Taylor, Andy Blair and Alistair Williams worked hard for Hollinwood, who are at home to Hanging Heaton on Saturday.