YORK ACORN 22 OULTON RAIDERS 2
JOSH MORTIMER, Thanet Road, Saturday
FORGET the scoreline – victory for the National Conference League Premier Division side over their Division One opponents was much harder-earned than the result would suggest.
And with a shade more luck and composure, it could well have been Oulton, not York Acorn, who are now preparing for a visit in the third round by Hull FC.
The Raiders, with the strong wind behind them and Matty Stableford leading from the front, spent most of the opening period in the home half but had two scores vetoed, one for a forward pass and another for double movement by Harvey Stevens, who would have strolled in but for a last-ditch tackle by Matt Chilton.
They still went in at the break 2-0 ahead, thanks to a 20-metre penalty-goal on the half-hour by their best player, Josh Perkins.
More Oulton pressure on the resumption came to nothing, despite the efforts of Bailey Metcalfe.
Somewhat against the run of play, Acorn squared matters on the hour, the mercurial Nathan Conroy kicking a penalty-goal from in front of the posts.
Having levelled, the hosts went on to have the better of the rest of the game.
Chilton attempted a long 40/20, Metcalfe was beaten to the ball by Clayton Shepherdson who, hacking on, managed to regather and, after fending Metcalfe off, send Ryan Gallacher under the sticks.
Conroy converted and, on 65 minutes, stretched the lead to eight points with a penalty-goal after a shoulder charge on Jack Byrnes.
Acorn’s tails were certainly up now and on 73 minutes. a short kick from substitute hooker Danny Byworth wasn’t dealt with under the Oulton posts and the outstanding Eddie Prescott was quickest to react.
Conroy added the extras and, in the final minutes, quick hands by Prescott put Conroy in under the sticks, the latter adding his fifth goal to cap a display in which, when Acorn had been struggling to break Oulton down, he had been their most threatening player.
GAMESTAR: York Acorn stand-off Nathan Conroy was influential throughout, landed five goals from as many attempts, and scored the closing try.
GAMEBREAKER: Two unanswered tries in the last seven minutes secured a hard-earned Acorn win.
MATCHFACTS
ACORN
1 Matt Chilton
2 Clayton Shepherdson
3 Josh Parker
4 Ryan Gallacher
5 Ben Husband
6 Nathan Conroy
7 Jack Green
8 Jordan Hyde
9 Nathan Hammerton
10 Eddie Prescott
11 Josh Thompson
12 George hunt
13 Elliot Bulmer
Subs (all used)
14 Danny Byworth
15 Harry Kirk
16 Jack Byrnes
18 Adam Speck
Tries: Gallacher (62), Prescott (73), Conroy (76)
Goals: Conroy 5/5
RAIDERS
1 Bailey Metcalfe
2 Kieron Walpole
3 Adrian Holdsworth
4 Robbie Powell
5 Isaac Rotherham
6 Josh Perkins
7 Archie Craggs
8 Charlie Tetley
9 Ben Brady
10 Matty Stableford
22 Harvey Williamson
12 Harvey Stevens
13 Danny Mackintosh
Subs (all used)
16 Kian Watson
15 Charlie Pollard
19 Luke Bibb
18 Joe Horan
Goals: Perkins 1/1
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-2; 2-2, 8-2, 10-2, 16-2, 22-2
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Acorn: Nathan Conroy; Raiders: Bailey Metcalfe
Half-time: 0-2
Referee: Jordan Hughes