Friendly cut short by injury

WARRINGTON Wizards had their first hit out of the 2012 season when they entertained Rochdale Hornets Under 23s at Crosfields and in an exciting encounter they came out narrow winners in a game that was sadly cut short just after the hour mark following a serious ankle injury suffered by Hornets hooker Jamie Trantum.
The new look Wizards, with no fewer than six debutants and only seven regulars from last season, started confidently against their higher league opponents and took the lead after five minutes when fine link up play from a scrum by half backs Ian Stephenson and Graham Healey saw the ball reach centre Mike Stout and he found winger Jonathan Griffiths who jinked back inside and rounded two defenders to score on the right. Hooker Warren Ayres added the conversion.
Some strong running by both sets of forwards was countered by equally impressive defensive work which kept the game scoreless for the next fifteen minutes but then the Wizards ran the ball on the last tackle and a long pass from loose forward Alan Reddecliff sent sixteen year old winger Daniel Banks on a thirty metre run down the left and he drew the full back towards him before finding second row Sean Conway superbly on his inside to race over under the posts. Ayres converted and then just before the half hour mark good work by Stout from a scrum deep in the Hornets half paved the way for Healey to dummy his way round the cover to score an unconverted try in the right corner.
Rochdale hit back in the closing stages of the half when good hands stretched the Wizards defence and the ball reached second row Fraser Jones-Lake who broke through an attempted tackle to score on the right. Stand off Ben Duffy added the goal points and then in the final play of the half a lovely ball from scrum half Will Chadwick sent Jones-Lake racing clear and he found centre Matt Reid in support to score wide out on the right and make the half time score 16-10 to the Wizards.
Three minutes into the second half good work down the middle by the Hornets allowed Chadwick to break through and race fifty metres to score under the posts. Winger Alex West landed the conversion to level the scores but the Wizards were soon back on the attack and a fine inside ball from Reddecliff saw centre Matt Taylor power over from ten metres out. Healey added the extras to restore his sides six point advantage.
A kick on the last tackle by Hornets substitute Dan Bedford saw Chadwick react quickest to win the race to touchdown on the right and narrow the gap to just two points but then just after the hour the serious injury to Trantum saw the game brought to a premature end and leave the Wizards with a 22-20 victory.
There was plenty of positive signs for the Wizards coaching staff as the new players gelled well on their first outing together and this all bodes well for the forthcoming Carnegie Challenge Cup Preliminary Round tie against East Leeds that takes place at Wilderpool Stadium on Saturday, February 4, kick off 1.30pm.

WIZARDS
Craig Middlemore, Jonathan Griffiths, Mike Stout, Matt Taylor, Daniel Banks, Graham Healey, Ian Stephenson, Dan Crampton, Warren Ayres, Dan Stubbs, Sean Conway, Martyn Bradshaw, Alan Reddecliff.
Subs:Hayden James, Ian Harris, Mike Rosson, Christian Froggatt, Mike Leicester, Paul Reynolds, Craig Woolvine.

HORNETS
Gary Loughead, Alex West, Jonny Fullalove, Matt Reid, Jack Knowles, Ben Duffy, Will Chadwick, Michael Cadd, Jamie Trantum, Jacob Kinney, Phil Schofield, Fraser Jones-Lake, Andy Taylor.
Subs:Jacob Almolm, Dean Mattinson, Dan Bedford, Charles Moore, Steven Lynch, Kemar Giles.