SHEFFIELD EAGLES 18 HUNSLET 22
DAN FOWLER, Steel City Stadium, Friday
IN A WEEK where Sheffield Eagles gave coach Craig Lingard a public vote of confidence, the Championship’s current basement club Hunslet continued to pile on the pressure with a narrow victory in South Yorkshire.
Despite a 16-point buffer developing early in the second half, Hunslet were biting their nails at the end as Sheffield roared back thanks to a Jack Billington double.
But Hunslet managed to hold out for their second league win of the season, offering some hope to their fans that they will be able to fend off relegation worries later in the year.
With early territory – as well as a penalty – on their side, Hunslet made it count as hooker Cam Berry opened the scoring on seven minutes with a sharp scoot from dummy-half. Billy Jowitt was on target from the tee.
After a lengthy stoppage to get Hunslet prop Harvey Hallas checked for a head injury, Sheffield came back out of the blocks by winning two consecutive penalties which they duly took advantage of.
Jack Mallinson provided the finishing touch to a move to the right flank, the fullback also making the angle much more favourable by manoeuvring under the sticks.
But Hunslet were next to strike as the half-hour mark loomed. The Championship newbies always looked to promote the ball at every opportunity and this particular venture ended in four points, Jowitt spotting the overlap and a subtle dummy helped the scrum-half to the whitewash. He was unable to add the extras with his attempt hitting the woodwork and going wide.
Shortly after, when Harrison Gilmore saw yellow for stopping a quick Eagles play-the-ball, the visitors may have been fearing the worst about the final stages of the second period.
However, they found themselves in dreamland in the next set as Lachlan Hanneghan got on the end of a Titus Gwaze pass to intercept and score from 60 metres out. Jowitt’s conversion made it 6-16 at the break.
Things got even better for the visitors on 44 minutes as an errant Billington offload bounced kindly for Coby Nichol to sweep up and run to the line. Jowitt’s conversion gave Hunslet what looked a comfortable advantage.
Sheffield did cut into that lead on the hour with Billington, aiming to make amends, running a powerful line to touch down. Aston converted for 12-22.
The visiting fans must have had their heads in their hands when the ensuing kick-off went out on the full, gifting Sheffield another platform to attack.
Although the hosts didn’t score immediately, another error in taking out Aston with a late shot gave more territory to the Eagles and they didn’t pass up that opportunity, Billington at the double with Aston converting to make it a four-point game with ten minutes to go.
To their credit, Hunslet fronted up in defence for the remainder of the game and the celebrations at the end of the game show just how much every win means for a club aiming to survive in the second tier.
For Sheffield, it’s another loss that provides more questions than answers as they continue to languish in the bottom four.
GAMESTAR: Cam Berry was a thorn in the Eagles’ side from dummy-half. A smart performance from Hunslet’s number nine.
GAMEBREAKER: Coby Nichol’s runaway score early in the second half gave Hunslet just enough breathing space.
MATCHFACTS
EAGLES
27 Jack Mallinson
21 Ryan Millar
3 Kris Welham
32 Darius Carter
5 Matty Dawson-Jones
6 Cory Aston
18 Jack Bussey
8 Eddie Battye
14 Reiss Butterworth
10 Tyler Dickinson
24 Oliver Roberts
23 Alex Foster
36 Jack Billington
Subs (all used)
13 Titus Gwaze
15 Evan Hodgson
16 Blake Broadbent
20 Lewis Peachey
Tries: Mallinson (18), Billington (61, 70)
Goals: Aston 3/3
HUNSLET
16 Greg Eden
21 Coby Nichol
19 Liam Welham
Lloyd McEwan-Peters
5 Mackensie Turner
6 Lachlan Hanneghan
4 Billy Jowitt
8 Harvey Hallas
14 Cam Berry
26 Ethan O’Hanlon
22 Harrison Gilmore
31 Kevin Larroyer
18 Brad Clavering
Subs (all used)
13 Jordan Syme
17 Keelan Foster
25 Kobe Rugless
27 Sam Webb-Campbell
Tries: Berry (8), Jowitt (26), Hanneghan (33), Nichol (44)
Goals: Jowitt 3/4
Sin bin: Gilmore (33 – professional foul)
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 6-10, 6-16; 6-22, 12-22, 18-22
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Eagles: Jack Billington; Hunslet: Cam Berry
Penalty count: 5-3
Half-time: 6-16
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas
