SIMON SMITH: Happy with a draw from tough trip

I was happy that we managed to come away from a very tough away trip to Percy Park with a share of the spoils on Saturday.
Simon SmithSimon Smith
Simon Smith

If I’d have been offered a draw leading up to the game, I would have taken it, knowing how tough a contest it would be.

They’ll be disappointed to draw the game so late, especially having been 10 points ahead with only seven minutes left on the clock.

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But having said that, I thought it was a very even game and a draw was a fair outcome overall.

We got our share of luck at the end when Tom Ratcliffe’s first penalty attempt rattled back off the post and ricocheted back into his arms.

He’s gone to try and score a try and then they’ve been called offside again, giving him a second chance to slot home a penalty.

There was a few of us who struggled to watch, it was nerve-wracking, but he booted it home and we got what we deserved from the game.

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They were a good side who will cause a lot of teams problems at this level.

They had a very big pack and made life difficult for us, and I thought the way our entire squad got their hands dirty and got stuck in was fantastic.

There’s a reason Percy Park are unbeaten at home and I’d suggest they’ll take points off a lot of teams, especially at home, throughout the course of the campaign.

It’s impossible to pick out any individual performances from Saturday.

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I was delighted with each and every one of them, it was a good team performance.

We now finish what has been a fantastic 2018 with two mouthwatering derby matches at Silver Royd, starting with Malton & Norton this weekend.

The players love these big derby games, especially at Silver Royd, and I know they won’t need much motivating for these two clashes in front of big home crowds.

We have a full compliment to select from, a good headache to have as a coach. It’s great to have competition for places.