1 day Ago
WOOLSTON Rovers put in a plucky display before losing 38-14 away to current National Conference League Division One leaders Ince Rose Bridge. Ince opened the scoring after seven minutes with a try from winger Calum Hughes but Rovers hit back eight minutes later when hooker Ryan Brown found scrum-half Sean Kelly and his ball put second-row Callum Harnett-Smy through a gap to score wide out on the right. Bridge went back in front when the ball was sent to winger Kian Aaron who scored in the right corner but then almost immediately Rovers were level once again when Brown went down the short side on the last tackle and put winger Ben Roberts over in the right corner.
Just after the half hour Rose Bridge second-row Harry Penny scored at the right of the posts. Full-back Mason Fillingham converted and then Hughes went over for his second try. A minute before the break Hughes scored his hat-trick try to give his side a 22-8 half-time advantage.
Four minutes into the second half hooker Byron Aspinall scored. Fillingham converted and then just after the hour Hughes scored his fourth try before centre Jamie Malone went over. Stand-off Peter Valentine added the conversion.
Rovers gained a consolation try 10 minutes from time when stand-off Ben Dixon went over. Loose-forward Craig Lawton converted to wrap up the scoring. Best for Rovers were hooker Ryan Brown, full-back James Tarpey and prop forward Jake Proudlove.
After the game Rovers NCL head coach Liam Lawton said: “I cannot fault the lads for the effort they put in. “We went toe-to-toe with them for the first half an hour but weren’t able to get our noses in front. “Ince are a very good team, who are still unbeaten, so it was always going to be a tough ask.
“We have been decimated with injuries over the past month and that is meaning that we are unable to put out a settled side. “Hopefully we will get a few bodies back over the next few weeks and then I am confident that we will start getting some positive results.” Woolston: James Tarpey; Tom Hailey, Patryk Mazur, Stuart Simm, Ben Roberts; Ben Dixon, Sean Kelly; Lewis Dawson, Ryan Brown, Jake Proudlove, Callum Harnett-Smy, Danny Brown, Craig Lawton.
Subs: Jake Rogerson, Craig Woolvine, Mitchell Clynes, Ben Crewe. Woolston head to Whitehaven on Saturday to face Kells, kick-off 2.30pm.
Meanwhile, Crosfields’ difficult start to the campaign in the same division continued in a home 20-10 defeat against Heworth. However, this was an improved performance with a number of positives. Luke Walker was a constant threat and scored both soap tries, while Tom Millington stood out in an 80-minute performance at prop to earn the man-of-the-match award.
Three under 18s debutants, Max Bannon, Harley Barlow-Dean and Harry Delooze-Collins, all did themselves proud. Soap return to action at Oldham St Annes on Saturday. Elsewhere, Latchford’s unbeaten start to the North West Men’s League Entry Division season continued with a 46-16 victory at Clock Face Miners A.
The damage was done early, with the visitors crossing four times in the opening 15 minutes thanks to tries from Riley Cole, Will Maguire and River Cole, two, with Maguire converting three. The hosts got on the scoresheet with a converted try, before Theo Gabbott crossed for Latchford who turned round leading 28-6. Any thoughts of a Clock Face second-half comeback were quickly extinguished when Maguire fielded a kick and raced 90 metres to score between the posts, and shortly after Ryan Edwards barged his way over.
Both were converted by Maguire as Albion reached the 40-point mark for the third week running. The hosts never gave up and were rewarded with two quickfire tries before Edwards held off three defenders to score again and put the seal on a great victory. Latchford coach Sean Bond said: “I'm very happy with our performance.
We dedicated time to review and analyse our first three games which we managed to apply on Saturday. “Despite a few key players being absent and three players making their debuts, I was impressed with how the team adapted to different positions and implemented the insights from our analysis.” This Saturday Latchford host Cadishead Rhinos at Victoria Park, kick-off 2.
30pm..
