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BLACKPOOL STANLEY 14 WOOLSTON ROVERS ‘A’ 50

BLACKPOOL STANLEY 14 WOOLSTON ROVERS ‘A’ 50

Kay White14 May 2017 - 21:56
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Woolston Rovers ‘A’ continued their fine start to the season when they produced a very good all-round team performance

to gain an excellent away victory at Blackpool Stanley in the NWML Shield on Saturday afternoon to move into the quarter-final.

Rovers opened the scoring in the second minute when a fine pass from a scrum by stand off Olly Hands found centre Jimmy Evans who scored in the left corner. Full back Liam Sullivan converted and three minutes later a break from dummy half by hooker Adam Files saw him race thirty metres before finding scrum half Billy Maunder who went over at the right of the posts. Sullivan added the conversion.

The visitors moved further clear when a fine kick from Maunder was collected by centre Callum Moore to score in the right corner but then Blackpool got off the mark when scrum half Jordan Farge found winger Graham McNish who broke through the Rovers defence to score in the left corner.

Just after the half hour Stanley substitute Henry Stelfox charged over at the left of the posts. Centre Jack Connell converted but then two minutes before the break Rovers regained the initiative when A Files found Maunder on the last tackle and he scored in the left corner. Sullivan goaled again from the touchline to make the half time score 22-10 in Rovers favour.

Four minutes into the second half Rovers substitute Kieran Moore went from dummy half and found A Files who broke clear to score under the posts. Sullivan converted and five minutes later Maunder intercepted a Blackpool pass on his own twenty metre line and raced to the halfway before passing onto winger Alex Dunne and he went fifty metres to score under the posts. Sullivan added the conversion.

Rovers then pounced on a Blackpool handling error as they dropped the ball and Dunne kicked ahead twice before picking the ball up to score at the right of the posts. Sullivan converted but then Blackpool scored a consolation try when stand off Joe Connell forced his way over in the left corner.

Just after the hour mark K Moore put A Files over at the left of the posts. Sullivan converted and five minutes from time Rovers brought up the half century when a lovely pass from Maunder found Dunne who went over in the right corner to complete his hat trick and make the final score 50-14 to a delighted Rovers side.

The Man of the Match was awarded to Rovers scum half Billy Maunder. He was very well supported by hooker Adam Files and stand off Olly Hands.

After the game Rovers ‘A” joint coach Andy Penny said, “We started the game with a great tempo and built up a good lead but we then became a bit sloppy and made it difficult for ourselves by moving away from the gameplan. Once we regained our composure we took the game away from a very plucky Blackpool side and played some superb Rugby. Our superior fitness and quality really came to the fore in the second half and that allowed us to move clear and finish very strongly which made for a good coach trip back home. We can now look forward to the quarter-final but we have a couple of league games to concentrate on before then.”

ROVERS ‘A’

Liam Sullivan, Alex Dunne, Jimmy Evans, Callum Moore, Kieran Jones, Olly Hands, Billy Maunder, Richard Potts, Adam Files, Bobby McGregor, Tom Woodward, Tom Fagan, Olly Parr.

Subs:​ Kieran Moore, Nathan Evans, Jay Ryder, Sam Files, Max Ainsworth.

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