In their 3rd game in 8 days Jarrow welcomed local rivals Sunderland to Monkton Stadium in round 3 of the North East Premier Rugby League competition.
Boasting a 3 out of 3 record, Jarrow were keen to show Sunderland why they are currently sitting at the top of the table, but Sunderland were also looking to follow on from their previous weeks win over Peterlee Pumas.
It was also an important game for the new Jarrow duo Dave Stephenson and Craig Jones, who joined the Vikings from Sunderland this season, taking on their old team mates for the first time.
Games between these 2 sides are always fierce encounters with neither side wanting to take a backward step, this was no different!
After 10 minutes of pushing hard for a break, Jarrow eventually broke the deadlock with a well worked move, the ball passing through a number of hands out wide to the waiting right winger Chris Butt to finish well in the corner.
Another 10 minutes of toil and some unforced errors from the increasing frustrated home side saw the mounting pressure on the visitors defence finally pay off and it was another flowing passing move, this time to the left , that resulted in Reece Young scoring in the left corner.
On 23 minutes prop Mark Walker broke the Sunderland line and was clear, only to be pulled back by the referee for offside by the visitors. However from the resulting penalty Walker took the ball in and smashed through the defenders to score under the posts, Graham Lupton adding the conversion and extending the lead to 16 – 0.
Fullback Gregg Newlands was adding to the Jarrow tally 5 minutes later when the home side opted to run the ball on the last tackle, scrum half John Coutts putting Newlands in to right, Lupton stepping up to add the extras.
The Vikings were turning on the style and looking strong in attack but it was their defensive dominance that was the most telling and Sunderland were struggling to make any ground as wave after wave of defenders repelled every attack.
Centre Dave Green was on the score sheet in the 35th minute after Lupton had chipped over the defensive line, the onrushing winger Butt was the first to the ball and he cleverly kicked the ball back into the arms of Green who gratefully accepted the try.
Right on the stroke of half time Walker compounded the misery for the visitors when he smashed through the middle of the defence again to score and Lupton’s conversion took the score to 30 – 0.
The second period started as the first had finished with Jarrow dominating the defence and allowing Sunderland little room to play, pushing them back at every opportunity.
Green was on hand again in the 52nd minute to score a well taken try before Sunderland were able to register their first of the afternoon.
That point came in the 60th minute when hard working forward Raymie Elliott crashed through the home defence, although tackled he managed to release the ball onto the floor. As the Jarrow players stopped thinking the referee may pull it back for a knock on the ever alert Daniel Rundle was first to react, on hand to pick up and sprint free from the chasing defenders, the resulting conversion taking the score to Jarrow 34 – 6 Sunderland.
But that was to be the only joy for the visitors as Jarrow were soon back on track in the 66th minute with a well taken try by prop Jordan Robinson.
The scoring was rounded off by irrepressible centre Craig Jones, who increased his personal try tally to 5 in 4 games and to leave the Vikings impressive 42 points to 6 winners, keeping them top of the Premier Division, equal on points with next week’s opposition Gateshead Spartans.
The SourceIT Consulting Man of the Match went to Reece Young for the second week running.