Whitby harlequins/Middlesbrough lions 12 Hartlepool BBOB 30    Whitbys planned game against guisbrough 3rds was cancelled by Guisbrough so fixture secretary Pete Steniford managed to get the Harlequins a game by joining forces with Middlesbrough 4ths at Middlesbrough.Whitby were once again let down by a few late cry offs from A Knaggs and P Hansell both haveing to work but took a pretty strong side with a mixture of experience and youth.Whitby started well and the forwards of mostly Whitby players were controlling the game well prop Dan Cairns came close to scoreing just being stopped a yard short after a 40 yd run.Mario Spagnolio playing his first ever game at prop was also haveing a storming game and put in several good breaks and Whitby soon scored two tries when after good posession by the forwards with the two Middlesbrough centres crashing over. just before half time Hartlepool a side that only a few seasons ago were playing Whitby firsts went over to close the gap.

The second half did not start so well for Whitby with lots of changes made at half time Hartlepool at last realised their best option was to use their pacey back line and they scored several early tries to take the lead.Whitbys experienced players Darrin Wright,Dusty Hare and Craig Hall were all haveing great games in the forwards but unfortunatly the Hartlepool backs were just to strong for the Whitby back line and scored a couple more tries to finnish worthy winners.Overall Whitby can take lots of positives from this game as playing a much stronger side with a scratch side of mixed Whitby and Middlesbrough players the game was pretty even.