Tom Forber scores four as Rochdale Hornets dominate Goole Vikings

ROCHDALE HORNETS 50 GOOLE VIKINGS 6
IAN RIGG, Crown Oil Arena, Saturday

ROCHDALE secured a third successive win with a strong performance against Goole, which included four tries for winger Luke Forber.

Right from the off Vikings were up against it when Josh Guzdek lost the ball in his own 30 on the second tackle of the match.
From this pressure Emmerson Whittel was held up and then Hornets forced a goal-line drop-out.

Goole then gave away a penalty in front of their posts but Rochdale elected to play instead of kick and it was Whittel who went through three tacklers to score under the posts, with Morgan Punchard converting.

The Vikings tried to force an error at the restart and Jack Arnold tried to steal the ball one-on-one from Punchard, but knocked-on doing so and handed the ball back to Rochdale, who had a try chalked off for a forward pass before another Goole attack again ended with them losing the ball.

The Hornets went further ahead on 20 minutes when, from a penalty at the play-the-ball, Myles Harrop went through attempted tackles from Guzdek and Reece Dean to score under the posts.

Four minutes later they were in again when Tom Ashton scattered the defence to score on the right.

Hornets’ fourth try came when Lewis Else put a kick up on the left and Forber climbed high to collect and race away to score by the posts. Punchard converted all four first-half tries.

The Vikings hit back in the first minute of the second half when Neil Tchamambe climbed highest from a kick to knock the ball back to Manoa Wacokecoke, who raced in under the posts and Jack Potter converted.

But normal service resumed six minutes later when Harrop made a 50-metre break up the left to feed Forber for his second and Punchard was on target again.

Dean Roberts was held up for the Vikings on 52 minutes but again in the next tackle they lost the ball.

Three minutes later Rochdale were in for their sixth try when again Harrop raced up the left side, this time to feed Else who scored on the left for another converted try.

Deane Meadows then scored in the right corner but Punchard was off target for the first time in the game.

Forber completed his hat-trick five minutes later when Gregg McNally sent a floating pass to the flying winger, who took a big hit in the process. The conversion was again missed.

Brett Ferres tried to force his was in at the corner with seven minutes left but he lost the ball.

Four minutes later he tried again, but this time when he offloaded no one was able to take the ball.

In the final minute Duane Straugheir made a break up the right but was grounded inches short. From the play-the-ball it was moved left and Harrop sent Forber in for his fourth of the afternoon, with Punchard landing the conversion from the touchline to bring up the half-century and a great day for the home side.

GAMESTAR: Luke Forber scored four tries.

GAMEBREAKER: Forber’s first just before the interval put Rochdale 24 points ahead and Goole were facing an impossible task in the second half.

MATCHFACTS
HORNETS
1 Gregg McNally
2 Dan Nixon
20 Tom Ashton
4 Myles Harrop
5 Luke Forber
23 Morgan Punchard
7 Lewis Else
22 Elijah Simpson
29 Dec O’Donnell
10 Luke Nelmes
19 Jaden Dayes
12 Duane Straugheir
13 Emmerson Whittel
Subs (all used)
9 Oli Burton
16 Jordan Andrade
11 Deane Meadows
31 Dom Newton

Tries: Whittel (4), Harrop (20), Ashton (24), Forber (36, 47, 67, 80), Else (55), Meadows (62)
Goals: Punchard 7/9

VIKINGS
29 Jamie Shaul
2 Tom Halliday
3 Josh Guzdek
5 Manoa Wacokecoke
28 Neil Tchamambe
32 Jack Potter
7 Reece Dean
33 Dean Roberts
9 Jeylan Hodgson
34 Jack Arnold
11 Brett Ferres
16 Harry Aldous
35 Kye Armstrong
Subs (all used)
8 Joe Phillips
10 Jack Aldous
15 Alex Holdstock
36 Zach Jebson