KIRKBY Lonsdale lost out to Billingham in the rugby at the weekend on a 'day to forget' where the home team outplayed the visitors to extend their winning streak.
The final score was 64 - 3 to Billingham. Stand-in captain Tom Pickthall said: "We were outclassed really. We stuck with them for the first 30 minutes and it was only 7 - 3. Then we got a yellow card and they scored three quick tries.
"The game was pretty much lost by half time then.
"Billingham are top class and I would be surprised to see them outside of the top three at the end of the season. People will struggle to beat them at their place."
Billingham are an in form side at the moment winning their last five games on the trot and racing up the table, this win taking them to fourth.
On the day Kirkby were outplayed on the G4 Astro surface by a strong, well drilled, skilful, pacey Billingham side and now that they have this squad together it is going to take some beating at home – or anywhere else.
Set piece play in scrums and lineouts was even but a pattern of play became apparent when Billingham’s strong midfield runners punched holes.
If first-up tackles could be broken Kirkby defenders were drawn in, off-loads then created opportunities and space for backs to run on to passes, slick hands found the extra man and they ran in ten tries to nil.
Kirkby’s response being a well struck penalty by Tom Pickthall, strong tackling stand-off Dave Barton hadn’t recovered from the injury he picked up against Morley so missed this game and, although his presence mid-field might have influenced the score, it probably wouldn’t have influenced the result.
Kirkby did have moments when they could have scored, others when they should have and they never stopped trying but, predominantly, it was backs to the wall defence as the home side strutted their stuff.
The mind roams back to seek a comparative losing score in the league system but gets lost in the mist, these days come and then they go, this one has gone now and Kirkby will learn and move on to the next fixture, a home game against Sandal on November 25.
Speaking ahead of the Sandal game, Pickthall said: "We have a week off now and we will be putting in some important training sessions. We need to try hard not to be in the position we were in this weekend again."
Team
1 Cameron Rowse
2 Matt Holyland
3 Tyran Fagan
4 Gareth Gore
5 Dan Thompson
6 Craig Galbraith
7 Ross Towers
8 David Maka
9 Harry Huddleston
10 Ben Walker
11 Stuart Storey
12 Tom Pickthall
13 Scott Armstrong
14 Martyn Knapton
15 Harry Ralston
Bench
16 Elliot Horner
17 Alex Rogers
18 Andre Potgieter
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