Yorkshire title for Dinnington schoolboys

The Doe Quarry Lane school’s under 13 boys were held to a 15-15 draw by South Hunsley in the final, meaning they shared the title.

The triumph comes one year after heartache in the semi-final of the regional competition, and coach David Ellis believes the squad have come of age.

“They’ve been improving all the time over the last two years, and managed to peak at the right time,” he told the Guardian.

“It was an oustandingn performance in the final, by all the squad members. They played with aggression and commitment from the moment the match started.”

Dinnington beat Crossley Heath School in the quarter-final by two points, and the semi-final against Kelvin Hall from Hull was an even closer affair as just one point saw Dinnington through to the final.

Ellis’ boys, captained by Kyle Cotton, came from behind in both encounters, with Oliver Baker at scrum-half and Angus Garrett at prop forward starring.

In the final, Dinnington looked the stronger side throughout and were camped in the opposition 22 for the final 10 minutes.

Ellis added: “Five minutes longer and we would have been the victory.”

“Nevertheless, they still come out with a share of the Yorkshire Schools cup, and there were amazing performances by all the players in the squad.”

Dinnington’s leading try scorers in the competition were Brandon-Lee Fitzpatrick and Luke Harrison.