WOOLSTON Rovers will be hoping that they can keep their quest for promotion on track from the National Conference League Division Two when they travel to Barrow Island in the playoff semi-final on Saturday afternoon.
The coach leaves Monk Sports Club at 10.30 am for any supporters wishing to travel.
Rovers secured sixth place in the league table with a fine win over Dewsbury Moor Maroons on Saturday and Rovers NCL Head Coach Billy Sheen said, “We have worked so hard to get ourselves into a position where we can still get promoted and we need to go out there at the weekend and produce the good on the pitch. The past month has seen us with a much more settled side and that has shown in the performances. We know how tough Barrow are to play, especially at home, but we are confident that if we play to the best of our ability then we can get the right result.”
At the weekend Woolston Rovers produced a blistering first-half performance and then withstood a second-half fightback to claim a thoroughly deserved 34-12 win over Dewsbury Moor Maroons on Saturday afternoon at the Limestone Construction Field, Monks Sports Club to cement their place in the playoffs.
Rovers opened the scoring in the third minute when hooker Adam Files went from dummy half to crash over the line. Fullback Theo Holt converted and then just before the half-hour mark A Files again caught the Maroons defence out as he went from dummy half to score. Holt added the conversion.
Shortly afterwards fine play from Rovers second row Dan Fearnley paved the way for A Files to go over for his hat trick and then right on the stroke of halftime Rovers had a scrum deep in Dewsbury territory and from that scrum-half dec Leonard found centre Kieran Moore at speed to score on the left and give his side a commanding 20-0 interval lead.
Six minutes into the second half Dewsbury had a scrum forty metres out and straight from that standoff Finley Bruce chipped over the Rovers defence and won the race to touchdown at the right of the posts. Second row Bradley Foster converted and four minutes later the visitors were over again when loose forward Kieran Hepworth scored under the posts. Foster added the conversion to narrow the deficit to eight points.
When Rovers had second row Scott Whiteley sin-binned for dissent to the referee, the Maroons could have expected to take advantage of the extra man but it was Rovers who scored next when Holt linked into the line on the last tackle and found centre Lewis Hoarty who went over in the right corner.
As the game entered the final three minutes a beautiful slipped pass from Rovers substitute Matt Taylor found A Files who stretched over on the right for his fourth try of the afternoon. Holt converted and then with the last play of the game A Files darted from dummy half and then quick hands saw the ball reach Hoarty and he found winger Tom Byrne who stepped round his opposite number to score on the right and complete an excellent 34-12 win for the Green & Gold men.
The Man of the Match was awarded to Rovers loose forward Harry Files. He was very well supported by hooker Adam Files and prop forward Ryan Hickman.
After the game Rovers NCL Head Coach Billy Sheen said, “We started strong and built up a commanding halftime lead but then we fell off again at the beginning of the second half, which we keep doing and need to get out of that habit. Fortunately, we managed to re-gather and get a good result.” Head of Rugby Mal Holt added, “It was the last game of the regular league season and we got a good win to secure our playoff place. We are finding some good form and consistency at the right time and need to keep that momentum going for hopefully two more games so we can get promotion.”
ROVERS
Theo Holt, Tom Byrne, Kieran Moore, Lewis Hoarty, Kieran Jones, Ryan brown, Dec Leonard, Josh Sudlow, Adam Files, Ryan Hickman, Dan Fearnley, Scott Whiteley, Harry Files.
Subs: Aaron Barber, Paul Alcock, Craig Lawton, Matt Taylor.
Tries
A Files (3 mins, 27, 33, 78), Moore (40), Hoarty (71), Byrne (80).
Goals
Holt 3
MAROONS
Joshua Scrutton, Jack Clarkson, Joshua Burland, Tobias Richardson, Jake Butterfield, Finley Bruce, Aiden Ineson, James Samme, Paul Mennell, Thomas Berry, Aaron James, Bradley Foster, Kieran Hepworth.
Subs: Cohen Aston, Jayden Bose, Oliver Ayers, Lewis Harvey.
Tries
Bruce (46 mins), Hepworth (50).
Goals
Foster 2
Referee: Cameron Charnock
