MIDLANDS HURRICANES 36 WHITEHAVEN 4
IAN GOLDEN, Avery Fields, Saturday

MIDLANDS eased their way through to the second round of the play-offs, with the match won by half-time.

The first-half performance was one of the best that home fans had seen all season, even considering the hammering of Crusaders last week.

They took their feet off the gas a little after the interval and Mark Dunning will know that his side won’t have that luxury this weekend when they travel to a better side.

It took until the fourth minute for an opening spell of perfect sets from each side to be broken; this was when Whitehaven were awarded the first penalty of the match. But it was deep in their own half, and Midlands had no problems in defending.

Then from Midlands’ next attack, they broke the deadlock when Ryan Johnson slipped through a gap to ground the ball. Sully Medforth must have let play-off nerves get to him, as he missed a relatively simple conversion attempt.

However, he didn’t have long to try and redeem himself as Midlands went back-to-back, just 150 seconds after scoring their opener. Matty Chrimes ran down the wing to score, but Medforth, faced with a trickier kick, missed again.

They made it easier for him when Lewis Else ran in for the third try on 13 minutes, scoring under the posts. Medforth put the score on to 14-0.

Only a dropped ball put an end to Midlands’ scoring, for a few minutes anyway.

It took until the 19th minute for Aiden McGowan to pick up a bounce on Whitehaven’s 10-metre line and run home. Medforth’s kick made the score 20-0.

Before the clock had hit 22 minutes, Midlands were over for a fifth time, this one with some delightful rugby. Chrimes created the try with a storming run, slipping the ball to Lewis Else, who had no trouble beating the tiring Whitehaven side. Medforth’s kick put the score at 26-0 on 23 minutes.

But Whitehaven managed to slow things down, as an intercepted pass ended one of the best spells of play that Midlands’ fans had seen all season. Whitehaven did have a chance to break their deadlock after winning a penalty, but the home side stood firm.

Midlands were letting things slip, giving away too many penalties, having conceded five in a short period of time, but their opponents weren’t able to take advantage.

As the half-time hooter went, Midlands produced another moment of magic, surpassing the quality of the earlier try. Medforth broke through, played a nice one-two with Ross Oakes, then offloaded to Else, who raced away and passed to Chrimes. He kicked and the ball was picked up by Else, who claimed his hat-trick by scoring in the corner. Medforth couldn’t convert, but Midlands were 30-0 up at half-time.

The game was as good as won, but Midlands added one more try for good measure.

Chrimes picked up a high bomb on the final tackle of a set to score the second-half opener on 45 minutes. Medforth converted.

Whitehaven’s only try came on 64 minutes, and that was after winning three goal-line drop-outs, as well as scrums and more penalties. Ciaran Walker slipped over but couldn’t convert his own try.

Midlands had also tired by this time.

Chrimes could have had another try a few minutes before the end, but his earlier pace had gone and he was stopped easily by his opposite number as the game fizzled to a conclusion.

GAMESTAR: Lewis Else was a great playmaker and scored three good tries.

GAMEBREAKER: Else’s hat-trick try after the half-time hooter was not only class; it dented all hopes of a Haven comeback.

MATCHFACTS

HURRICANES
30 James Woodburn-Hall
2 Matty Chrimes
31 Liam Sutcliffe
4 Ross Oakes
23 Aidan McGowan
19 Sully Medforth
7 Lewis Else
8 Jon-Luke Kirby
9 Aiden Roden
10 Tyler Dickinson
3 Ryan Johnson
12 Oliver Roberts
20 Toby Warren
Subs (all used)
1 Todd Horner
15 Elliot Morris
16 Zeus Silk
11 Tom Wilkinson

Tries: Johnson (7), Chrimes (10, 45), Else (13, 22, 40), McGowan (18)
Goals: Medforth 4/7

WHITEHAVEN
1 Jordan Burns
2 Mitchell Todd
11 Connor Holliday
4 Ethan Bickerdike
31 Xenden Callander
6 Ciaran Walker
13 Jack Kellett
20 Marc Shackley
9 Ellison Holgate
24 Lewis Brown
15 Ellis Nixon
23 Ben Pearce
27 Woody Walker
Subs (all used)
16 Brad Brennan
32 Liam Williamson
26 Alfie Sinclair
35 Jackson Smith

Tries: C Walker (64)
Goals: C Walker 0/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 8-0, 14-0, 20-0, 26-0, 30-0; 36-0, 36-4

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hurricanes: Lewis Else, Whitehaven: Jack Kellett

Penalty count: 6-8
Half-time: 30-0
Referee: Denton Arnold
Attendance: 319