GOOLE VIKINGS 14 MIDLANDS HURRICANES 16
ASH HOPE, Victoria Pleasure Ground, Sunday
LAS VEGAS? Viva League One!
Without a single neon light in sight, or a cash-laden club, or a famous strip – Rugby League already won a small fortune, downtown, this week.
Not with the backdrop of The Strat Tower, admittedly so, but with the concrete water tower of Goole onlooking a rainy, 14-16 victory for Midlands.
The Vikings, hosting their first league game, were led onto the field by a family dressed in Viking attire and it soon felt fitting.
A battling first ten minutes set a tone for a robust tussle in the middle. Barring early chances for Hurricanes’ duo Ross Oakes and Todd Horner, neither side really posed a real risk of drawing first blood.
That partnering of water-tight defence and the heavy downfall from above, saw a succession of handling errors from both teams.
In matching each other’s strong starts, Goole and Midlands slowly began to test each other’s luck.
What followed? A game of penalty roulette.
A swing of four penalties, three by Goole and one by Midlands, ended in Reece Dean kicking the first two points from the kicking tee and it was clear that finding points was going to be tough.
Mikey Wood almost capitalised on the collective fumble of Brett Ferres and Jamie Shaul, grounding the ball, only to be called back for offside, as the game waited half an hour for its’ first try.
Tom Wilkinson battled through an increasingly resolute Goole defence to pounce over the line, with Jake Sweeting adding his sweet touch to make the score now 2-6.
Goole again saw a conceded penalty almost cost them dearly. Wood almost found himself on the scoreboard again, but this time he was held up.
The frustration had thrice spilled out into heated exchanges, with both set of players making their physical capabilities known to the other.
But with Woods denied again, Oakes then tried twice to branch out Midlands‘ lead into a second try. Wilkinson nearly added a second, but a knock-on before the line was the closest either side came before half-time.
It was Wilkinson who asked the first questions of the second half, coming close to putting Midlands in a healthy position – but the early script was re-writing itself.
Penalties. Defensive might. Handling errors. Collective mettle. A game of brute strength.
It took an uncharacteristic error by Callum McLelland to give Goole an opportunity, as Ryan Wright snatched the ball and dashed over to put them back in front.
They didn’t slow down, not until after Shaul slid over for a try, following Wacokecoke’s rampant run deep into the mouth of the Hurricanes‘ defence.
Goole were set to win their first game at the Victoria Pleasure Ground, but it was not set in stone.
Midlands had come with the attitude of leaving no stone unturned, even if Goole’s stonewall defensive effort was looking almost concrete.
It took Midlands ten minutes of standing up to Goole’s towering effort to find the tryline again.
New signing Luis Roberts then pounced on the ball from a Jon-Luke Kirby chip over in the far corner, with seven minutes still on the clock.
With the score now at 14-12, Midlands staked their odds again in the final two minutes, as Matty Hanley glided through a slight gap to claim the narrow victory.
Sweeting added a sweetener from the kicking tee and Goole’s final attack to gamble for the win was penalised, but the margins were well and truly fine.
GAMESTAR: Tom Wilkinson was a continuous attacking threat throughout, as he claimed a well-deserved try.
GAMEBREAKER: Luis Roberts’ first try, after signing for Midlands only last week, put the momentum in the Hurricanes’ camp.
MATCHFACTS
VIKINGS
29 Jamie Shaul
2 Tom Halliday
3 Josh Guzdek
19 Callum Shaw
5 Manoa Wacokecoke
6 Mackenzie Harman
7 Reece Dean
17 Jack Coventry
26 Lennie Ellis
10 Jack Aldous
11 Brett Ferres
4 Thomas Minns
18 Tyler Craig
Subs (all used)
14 Misi Taulapapa
25 Ryan Wright
27 Leo Tennison
22 Mike Ogunwole
Tries: Wright (54), Shaul (61)
Goals: Dean 3/3
HURRICANES
1 Todd Horner
24 Matty Hanley
3 Ryan Johnson
4 Ross Oakes
25 Luis Roberts
6 Jake Sweeting
7 Callum McLelland
8 Jon-Luke Kirby
14 Aiden Roden
20 Elliott Morris
11 Tom Wilkinson
15 Aaron Willis
13 Mikey Wood
Subs (all used)
9 Danny Barcoe
18 Zeus Silk
16 Ellis Hobson
19 Marcus Green
Tries: Wilkinson (29), Roberts (73), Hanley (78)
Goals: Sweeting 2/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 2-6; 8-6, 14-6, 14-12, 14-16
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Vikings: Manoa Wacokecoke; Hurricanes: Tom Wilkinson
Penalty count: 4-4
Half-time: 2-6
Referee: Tara Jones
Attendance: 479