Hartlepool Rovers 17 Acklam 43

The match had started with the Whites a place and a point ahead of Acklam and hoping for the win that would lift them higher in Durham Northumberland One and make up for the previous week’s loss at Barnard Castle.

In league sport of any kind, a side has to beat the teams around them and look to win their home games and Rovers are struggling with this concept so far this season. They have the chance to redeem themselves, ahead of a free week, when they visit Durham City for their next match.

Rovers found themselves 19-0 down with only 23 minutes gone having failed to open the scoring when Ryan Foreman went wide with a 48 metre penalty after two minutes.

Tom Hughes went over in the Railway Corner on 16 minutes when the visitors opted for a scrum from a penalty award and Ricky Scott touched down after another penalty with Marcus Sudron kicking the touchline conversion.

It was then two tries in three minutes when a great break through the middle by Tim Savage saw Brad Gaytor cross, Sudron again converting.

The Friaragemen had struggled to get out of their own half despite having the advantage of the strong wind but they clawed five points back after 27 minutes when Adam Smith latched onto a Foreman kick ahead to score in the left hand clubhouse corner.,

Rovers were then rewarded for a spell of pressure inside the away 22 with Joe Little receiving from a tap penalty to storm over between the posts. Chris Sainty’s conversion cutting the deficit to 19-12.

A Patrick O’Callaghan lineout take on 48 minutes set up a home attack and Andrew Dring and Tom Stead broke with Steven Barnfield diving over and Rovers now trailed by two points, 19-17.

Sudron was on target with a three-pointer after 58 minutes and, four minutes later, Acklam went 29-17 ahead when Rovers failed to run out of defence and Scott scored his second try, Sudron converting.

A five metre scrum with ten minutes to play saw Acklam hit the home line and visiting captain Ben Pearson managed to ground the ball under pressure, Sudron’s conversion making the lead 36-17.

The White Shirts went in search of a consolation bonus point try but conceded their 20th penalty of the match and moments later leaked a sixth try in added time, Josh Abraham running through a gap in the defence, Sudron’s conversion bringing the final whistle.

Rovers: Sainty, S Railton, S Barnfield, Gunn, A Smith, Foreman (sin bin 33), Pelser, I Flounders, Maguire, Lloyd, S Smith, Little, Burnside (sin bin 56), O’Callaghan, Dring (c). Subs used: T Stead, N Stead, Stephenson

Acklam: Gator, Abraham, Scott, Dunn, Hughes, Sudron, Ashton, Rae, Pearson (c)(sin bin 11), Bowtell-Potter, Moss, Savage, O’Brien, Dalton, Guignard. Subs used: Faint, Bottomley, Walker

Referee: Malcolm van Stedeen (Catalan Society)