Latest News Co-Operative Conference National - Week 16
| Co-Operative Conference National - Week 16 |
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| Monday, 20 July 2009 05:15 |
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East Lancashire 12 Nottingham Outlaws 50 Blackburn RFC Outlaws got back on track and banished their midweek blues of the week before with a mauling of the Lions. Easts had the first chance in the fifth minute when James Muir put in a nice kick towards the line for Barry Rothwell but the scrum half was unable to ground the ball before it rolled dead. From then on the rest of the half belonged to Nottingham, who included four debutants in their line up, as they attacked relentlessly. Simon Perry put the visitors ahead in the tenth minute with a trademark try, following some pressure on the Lions line following a penalty, Greg Moore converting. They went further ahead three minutes later when the Lions made a horrible handling error near their own line and Bryn Waldram capitalised to score by the posts with Moore this time missing the extras. Their next try came in the twenty-fourth minute when loose forward Simon Morton scored on the left after a terrific break from Melbourne Weir and, with seven minutes to go to the break, Morton added his second try after good work down the left by Ben Radford and Weir again. Moore's goal established a runaway 22-0 lead at the break and it could have been more four minutes into the second period when Paul Calland knocked on as he was touching down. There was no let up for the Lions as the home side lost the ball in their own twenty and Adam Millward scooped it up to score between the posts with Moore again adding the goal points. In-form ex-Sheffield Eagle Morton completed his hat trick in the fifty-second minute when weak tackling allowed him to race in by the posts. Roy Yorke then added an opportunist try for his side when he chipped the defence to re-gather and score in the right corner but this time the conversion was missed. The Lions finally got on the scoreboard on the hour when Martin Fisher kicked for the line and Ben Coombes won the race to cross by the posts, Fisher tagging on the conversion. The Outlaws added another try eight minutes later when great hands allowed Tom Tsang to crown a fine night's work as he found the line. Easts added their second try five minutes from time when Stephen Speakman scored between the posts with Fisher again converting but it was the Outlaws who made the half century in the last minute when Calland scored and Moore converted as the final whistle was blown. LIVERPOOL BUCCANEERS 28 WARRINGTON WIZARDS 32 - Leyfield Road - A captain's display by Alan Reddecliff helped Warrington Wizards to a rare away win that leaves them firm favourites to claim the sixth and final play-off spot while delivering a blow to Buccaneers' aspirations. In a fiercely contested derby match it was Reddecliff's hat-trick that proved crucial although he had able support from the lively Billy Sheen, with prop Matt Clarke also catching the eye with some powerful charges. Buccaneers could not capitalise on the brightest of starts despite the non-stop efforts of Kevin Howells and haemorrhaged penalties at an alarming rate throughout the game to give the Wizards possession and territory, which they adroitly converted into points. Buccaneers were able to welcome James Lacey back at full back for his first game of the season while Scott Porteous returned from international duty. Wizards recalled Darren Forshaw to face his old club but it was Liverpool that made far the brighter start, regaining possession when Wizards knocked on in the first impact. They forced a drop-out, before Matt Garner opened the scoring collecting Martin Gambles' pass to touch down, Sean Forber goaling. The lead was doubled when Mark Webster offloaded in the tackle and Lacey sent Jamie Hammond in at the corner, Forber again converting. But an early indication of the hosts' Achilles heel came when back-to-back penalties gave Warrington the position for Warren Ayres to flight a long pass to the left and David Yii to crash over. Liverpool were much the stronger at this stage, though, and took what should have been a commanding advantage when Sean Forber chipped over the line and re-gathered to ground the ball for a try he then proceeded to convert himself for an 18-8 lead. Discipline continued to be a problem for the home side, however, and after Sheen and Yii linked up to send Adam Gorman in at the corner, the hosts were reduced to twelve men as substitute Joel Parker was sinbinned for an offence in the tackle. Warrington exacted fuller retribution on the stroke of half time as Reddecliff danced past a couple of defenders to touch down between the posts, Ayres goaling for 18-14 at the turnaround. Wizards opened the second half as they had finished the first and as Buccaneers began to labour under the tackling workload they were creating for themselves Clarke began to make hay down the right channel. Showing great pace to break the line and charge downfield, he found support from Sheen inside and although Liverpool somehow managed to repel that threat, they could not hold out for long. Reddecliff showed his predatory instincts to slice through from close range, Ayres adding the extras to put the visitors ahead for the first time. Back though came the hosts and Parker, back in the fray, diving to ground an astute Gambles grubber, Forber's goal nudging Liverpool back ahead. The game continued to ebb and flow, with Wizards gradually wearing their opponents down and when Clarke again scattered the defence down the right his side won a penalty on the line. Hayden James ignored his team-mates pleas to slow play down and instead took a quick tap, sending Clarke ploughing over for a deserved score, Ayres converting for the lead again. That advantage became a two-score one when Wizards went for a power play on the last tackle, Ayres and Reddecliff showing their trademark fine appreciation of each other's game as the scrum-half sent his captain scorching over the line. Although Buccaneers threatened a rousing last hurrah when Mike Forber dived from acting half, the clock was not on their side and Wizards celebrated a vital victory. DEWSBURY CELTIC 4 FEATHERSTONE LIONS 46 - Crow Nest Park The visitors were under the cosh in the opening stages, Celtic's young side unlucky not to score in the first minute when Tom Norris crossed in the corner, but was disallowed for a forward pass. Once Lions had edged in front< John Fowler crossing ten metres at the side of the posts for Danny Huby to convert, there was no holding them. Dewsbury missed a penalty attempt from 30 metres out in the 14th minute when the kick went wide of the posts and Featherstone took advantage when Celtic knocked on in their own 20 metre area and Dane Kellett picked up and score close to the corner, Huby converting. Five minutes later Mark Spears forced his way over close to the posts for their third converted try and the hosts were again unlucky when James Eatherley looked set to score but had the ball knocked from his hands inches from the line. Again the visitors countered ruthlessly and, on the half hour, Rich Colley went on his own from dummy half to make it 24-0 at the break. Celtic made Featherstone work hard to increase their lead with some strong tacking in the second half. The visitors finally broke through in the 50th minute, Huby scoring and Tom Coad did likewise soon after, Huby maintaining his impeccable kicking record. On the hour Kev Dickens crossed near the corner flag with Huby again on target and finishing with 18 points but Celtic kept going and were rewarded in the 70th minute when Josh West broke clear and made 30 metres before uncovering Danny Samuels who put Eatherley over in the corner. Dewsbury looked like scoring again two minutes later when Samuels sped clear and made 40 metres unleashing Pat Foulstone, who was hauled down five metres from the line in a desperate try saver. Featherstone's eighth try - and all from different players - came three minutes from time, Richard Frankland scoring in the corner. HUDDERSFIELD UNDERBANK RANGERS 30 BRAMLEY BUFFALOES 28 - The Cross The epic contest was settled in the closing seconds when Rangers' Richard Aka won the race to a Darren Hawkyard stabbed kick to complete a fine hat trick of tries for the flying winger. It sealed a tremendous come back win for Underbank to narrow Bramley's competition lead to seven points with Rangers having two games in hand. The Buffaloes' bonus points picked up in this defeat and that at Nottingham two weeks ago may prove critical in deciding who heads the standings at the end of the season. The hosts welcomed back Richard Flooks, Shaun Mitchell and Andy Boothroyd to their line up, plus they gave a debut to young front rower Sam Housley. Bramley had Paul Drake returning from injury plus Craig Green replacing the suspended Nicky Fontaine in their side. The match opened at a ferocious pace with both sides' packs putting in huge defensive efforts but the first quarter belonged to the home side. Neil Barrett opened their account with a seventh minute penalty goal conceded by Bramley for holding down in the tackle and Underbank's early domination continued when Hawkyard broke the line sixty metres out, handed on to the supporting Mitchell who fed his winger Aka for the first score. Barrett added the extras and slotted over a penalty shortly afterwards as the visitors interfered at the play the ball. After Mitchell had made a tremendous centre field break Barrett had the chance to extend the lead but pulled his penalty attempt wide. Nevertheless, Rangers increased their lead when Dave Valentine broke from deep and Gary Keegan continued the play to crash over and with Barrett converting, Rangers led sixteen nil at the end of a blistering first quarter. Bramley were shell shocked but gained a foothold in the game when stand off Drake gave a lovely inside pass for powerful back rower John Elliker to crash. Drake added the conversion and did so again four minutes later as further Buffaloes' pressure resulted in winger Shaun Flynn racing over in the corner after receiving a superb long pass from the impressive Drake. Bramley's first half come back was completed when Flynn rose highest to a deft Drake cross field kick to claim a second touchdown and the sides went to the interval at 16-all at the end of a pulsating first half. Buffaloes continued their domination at the start of the second period as they scored twice in the opening seven minutes. First hooker Graham Harrison scooted over from acting half back after Andy McGann had gone close to scoring and then, after continued pressure from the visitors, Flynn completed his hat trick when he was first to react to a bouncing kick from Drake. Crucially, Drake missed the extras but Bramley held a commanding ten point lead. Underbank hauled themselves back into the contest when powerful back rower Tom Senior raced onto a superb Chris Thorley off load to cross between the posts and Barrett converted. Then, after Bramley had conceded three consecutive penalties, the ball was worked to the left for Aka to squeeze over in the corner to leave the scores level at 26 a piece. Bramley re-took the lead with seven minutes remaining when Rangers were penalised for ball stealing and Drake coolly slotted over the penalty. However, they could not prevent the irrepressible hosts from snatching a last-gasp victory to set off jubilant celebrations both on the pitch and in the large crowd. EAST LANCASHIRE LIONS 12 CARLISLE CENTURIONS 36 - Blackburn RFC - Carlisle moved off the bottom and claimed only their third league victory of the season when they defeated fellow strugglers Lions in the Lancashire sunshine. Easts, playing their second match in four days, looked a tired outfit, all of the Centurions tries coming from within the Lions twenty metre area as time and again their on-line defence let them down. The visitors took the lead in the third minute when Martin Stalker scored on the left after the Lions had been penalised near their own line but Dennis Bibby could not convert. The hosts then had a score ruled out four minutes later when Dave Wallis raced over for what looked like a certain try but he continued his run and inadvertently went over the dead ball line. Martin Stalker added his second try for the Centurions on fifteen minutes after good play down the wing by Stuart Bulman and Craig Stalker added the conversion. The Lions hit back on twenty-two minutes when a good passing movement involving Greg Dale, Mark Fisher and Paddy O'Grady saw James Muir speed away to score between the posts and he also added the conversion. Centurions hit back again in rapid fashion when Tom Armstrong powered his way in from short range but Craig Stalker missed the conversion. Martin Stalker completed his hat trick five minutes from the break when some slack tackling allowed him trough but again the conversion was missed. The Centurions stretched their lead on forty-seven minutes when Nathan Morris kicked a close range penalty following a high tackle. Again the Lions fought back and some intense pressure on the visitors' line finally saw Ryan Lowe dart over from close range and Muir converted to put the Lions within eight points. Armstrong added his second try on the hour when he again powered over from short range and Morris converted and this was quickly followed by another try when Mike Scott went in on the right. The final try came with three minutes left when Martin Stalker claimed his fourth of the afternoon after a huge overlap on the left and Craig Brierley added the simple conversion. HEMEL STAGS 90 GATESHEAD STORM 4 - Pennine Way, Sunday Halves Scott Clendenning-Fenton and Brendan Williams were near untouchable and the Stags scored with virtually every possession to stun the Storm. Ever-expansive, Hemel continually moved the ball through several pairs of hands, giving the visiting defence the runaround. Centre Jared Searson led the way with four tries, prolific Barry John Swindells ending with three and ten goals for a 32 point personal haul. The writing was on the wall early on, Hemel posting two tries in the opening three minutes, from Williams and Swindells. Stuart Leppard replied for the beleaguered Storm and with quarter of an hour gone it was only 12-4. Stuart McIntyre scored a typical winger's effort, Jamie Acton powered over from 20 metres and Michael Crosby crashed through the middle as the hosts posted three touchdowns in five minutes. They had to wait another 15 for their next score, youngster Keiran Dixon going over after more good work from Acton and Searson grabbed his first a minute from the break to make it 46-4. Swindells crossed twice in five minutes at the start of the second half, Searson then doing likewise, sandwiching another effort from McIntyre. Oli O'Mara was next on the act and, on the hour, Searson grabbed a fourth after more excellent handling released him out wide. Clendenning-Fenton got his deserved try with ten minutes to go and Alex Brown completed the rout soon after although Storm remained game to the last. RESULTS Saturday 18th July Sunday 19th July FIXTURES - Round 17 |
| Last Updated on Monday, 20 July 2009 05:30 |