Harrogate 15 Chester 7: Title within sight as Harrogate can finally build for the future

An army of supporters had descended on Claro Road early on Saturday morning to clear the pitch of snow and somehow ensure this National Three North top-of-the-table encounter went ahead.

It was a remarkable feat in its own right; the rest of the region’s fixture list was largely wiped out, including games with all three Yorkshire clubs much further up the pyramid in the Championship.

It was fitting, then, that Harrogate – with the help of two tries from prolific No 8 Tim Heaton – duly pushed on and delivered a win which pulls them four points clear of their broken opponents with three games remaining.

Coming soon after planning permission had been granted for their new ground and clubhouse a couple of miles away at Rudding Park, hopefully bringing an end to years of uncertainty for the North Yorkshire outfit, these are indeed heady times.

The players celebrating so wildly and joyously at the end could, perhaps, point to them thinking the job of earning promotion and taking the title is already complete, but Aspinall countered: “The reality is it’s absolutely far from done.

“We’ve three to go and three very tough games, too, at Percy Park, here against Sandal and at Billingham.

“The celebrations were because we know that was just a massive day all round.

“It was a massive day for the club as we had more than 40 people down here from 9 o’clock (in the morning) clearing the pitch.

“I think the guys, as much as it was a top-of-the-table clash against Chester, wanted to repay the great spirit the whole club showed, everyone coming down to get the game on.

“It is a great day for Harrogate rugby club and not just the first team.

“With the new ground on its way, we’ve talked about wanting to create a better culture here, that we’re one club and we’re all after the same thing – the development of rugby players throughout it.

“The effort everyone put in 
before the match and then the 
effort the first team lads put in on the field, says a lot about a really bright future here.”

It has been six years, and plenty of arduous times on and off the field, since Harrogate were relegated from National Two, the place where they feel they truly belong.

Although they struggled in parts against Chester – a side they led only by points difference at the start of play – you would put your money on Aspinall’s side to go on and clinch the title now.

Everyone knows it is crucial to maintain momentum at this defining time of the campaign and Harrogate are doing just that, having produced a record-extending 11th consecutive win.

In contrast, Chester, leaders for so long, have lost four of their nine games since the turn of the year and will certainly be mentally jaded after this morale-sapping loss.

“It’d be huge to go on and win it,” admitted Aspinall. “We’ve had great news already with the ground coming in 2014-15 and we want to be back in National Two.

“We want to be developing and pushing ourselves as a club.

“Rugby is a sport about pushing yourself to be better and, as a club, that’s where we want to be.”

Harrogate had enjoyed all the early pressure, ignoring the freezing conditions to play some attractive football and finding plenty of gaps in the visitors’ weak midfield.

However, they were limited to just a fourth-minute penalty from Callum Irvine before Chester, as expected, started to find their own feet.

Harrogate’s defence held firm, though, before the hosts ended the half with the points their 
efforts’ deserved.

After prop Sandal Jones had been yellow-carded for the visitors, Heaton – who had already been held up once – surged over for his first try in stoppage-time and Irvine made it 10-0.

Harrogate, with prop Jimmy Browne impressive up front and ex-Otley centre Kyle Dench his usual forceful self in the middle, began the second period strongly but again struggled for points.

They turned down kickable penalties only to see their driving maul repelled and it looked costly when Chester scored in the 73rd minute shortly after their first visit to Harrogate’s 22.

Replacement hooker Steve Maycock had been yellow-carded for the hosts and Mike Craven scored from a driving maul at a line-out, perfectly demonstrating how it should be done after so many failed Harrogate attempts.

It was converted to bring it nervously back to 10-7, but Chester spilled the restart to relieve the pressure and later kicked dead from their own 10m line to 
allow Heaton to finish them off in stoppage-time again as Harrogate finally got their driving maul working to see him score his 13th try of the season.

Aspinall added: “There were times in both halves, when we were not actually converting pressure into points, that I was concerned.

“We could have made it easier on ourselves, but, fair play to Chester, they are a great side and they made it very difficult for us.”

Harrogate: Denton; Minikin, Dench, Bottomley, Wackett; Irvine, Wickham; Metcalfe, Yorke, Browne, Harvey, Wilson, Brady, Smith, Heaton. Replacements: Aspinall, Maycock, Brady.

Chester: Foden; Rees, Grundy, L Hayes, Coy; R Hayes, Goodwin; S Jones, Gill, Whitelock-Wainwright, Gregory, MacKenzie, Moore, Craven, Brown. Replacements: Shirley, L Jones, White.

Referee: A Vertigan (RFU).