Perfect Christmas present for Dinnington Rugby Club

The 58-3 victory moved them up to 10th in the Yorkshire One table and finished 2012 on a high.

The men in blue have now opened up a 13-point gap on the relegation places.

Dinnington, with the advantage of the elements, started the game strongly and maintained the initiative for all of the first half.

They dominated the scrums and their line-out worked well, which gave Pontefract very little possession.

Dinnington went on 10 minutes when Craig West touched down after the forwards had driven a maul over the line following a lineout.

Five minutes later, John Stimpson scored from a similar play and Dinnington led 10-0.

Pontefract were given very little opportunity to threaten and it took them until the last 10 minutes of the half before they got across the halfway line, winning a penalty to cut the arrears.

The home side came straight back and two minutes later John Marshall crashed over from close range.

Jonny West added the conversion and kicked two penalties in the final minutes of the half, as Dinnington turned up the pressure to stretch the lead to 23-3 at the break.

The lead could have been far greater had Dinnington not waste three other good scoring chances through the half.

Dinnington were able to maintain their dominance in the second half, starving Pontefract of possession.

For the first 20 minutes of the half Dinnington did everything but score, wasting two chances, but once they broke through, play was all one way.

A good break by Gary Woodcock opened the way for Tyle Stimpson to run in a try and then two minutes later a piece of individual skill from Jonny West saw him run through the visitor’s defence to score.

Good work by the forwards set up Will Marshall for a try with 15 minutes to go and then two tries in a minute put the seal on an excellent display.

Loose head prop John Marshall just managed to reach the line as he stretched out from a maul and then the same player, breaking from half way and realising there was no one to support him, brushed off several would-be tacklers to make it to the line for his hat-trick. Jonny West converted all five second half tries.

This was Dinnington’s third league victory in a row, the sort of run they usually leave for the end of the season to escape relegation.

However, they have already won more league games this season than the whole of last and it puts them in the sort of position they should ensure a peaceful, stress-free New Year.

Dinnington’s next league game is away to York on 5th January 2013.