WORKINGTON TOWN 20 ROCHDALE HORNETS 22
DAVE PARKINSON, Fibrus Community Stadium, Sunday

ROCHDALE held off their hosts to clinch a first league win in seven attempts.

Hornets made a strong start, and led 6-0, but were then 14-6 behind before mounting their own comeback.

When Town were penalised early on, Max Flanagan slotted the goal, and his side extended their advantage after ten minutes when Harvey Braddish was hauled down by the line and Ross Whitmore dived in from dummy-half. Flanagan was unable to convert.

The visitors were having much the better of the contest for the first 25 minutes with Mark Ioane, Jordan Syme and Chris Barratt enjoying their forays at the Workington pack. With some handling errors added to the mix, the hosts found themselves in a midfield slog.

But they gradually began to turn the screw and were unfortunate with two chances.

The first came after half an hour when Evan Lawther brushed away from two defenders on the left and went to Oscar Doran, who sped into the backfield, but with the support of debutant Jaiden Tallantire and Jake Carter inside, the pass went between both players.

Then a wonderful pass from Tallantire undid Rochdale on the right – but Zarrin Galea couldn’t take the ball cleanly.

Workington deservedly levelled just before the break, when Tallantire attacked down the left and kicked in behind. He won the race and fired the ball out for Oscar Doran to run to the posts. Carter goaled and it was 6-6.

At the start of the second half, Workington tore into their opponents and added two tries in the space of four minutes.

The first came after 49, when Mason Lewthwaite went in from Carter’s pass, then the Rochdale defence was sucked in before Jamie Doran popped a kick to the right and Galea touched down.

Rochdale won a set restart and pushed close before Jamie Dallimore went in from dummy-half on 55 minutes, then added the goal.

Workington went on the attack down the left but a delayed pass from Carter was snapped up by Alex Chippendale. Although he was chased down by Oscar Doran, who picked up an injury, Rochdale pushed the ball back to the middle and Flanagan touched down close to the posts for Dallimore to kick his second goal.

Then the busy Dallimore cut through the home defence in the 72nd minute for his second try.

Near the end a superb run from Lawther was finished off when the ever-alert Tallantire supported to glide in for Carter to convert and cut the deficit to two.

GAMESTAR: Lewis Hatton was brilliant off the bench for Rochdale – a real handful for Workington.

GAMEBREAKER: Jamie Dallimore’s second try crucially extended Hornets’ lead.

MATCHFACTS

TOWN
27 Jaiden Tallantire
2 Oscar Doran
21 Evan Lawther
3 Rio Corkill
1 Zarrin Galea
6 Jake Carter
9 Jamie Doran
24 Grant Reid
14 Callum Phillips
10 Stevie Scholey
11 Mason Lewthwaite
28 Jack Ainley
25 Bear Williams
Subs (all used)
13 Jack Stephenson
17 Lucas Castle
18 Jude Lupton
26 Tuarae Rawhiti

Tries: O Doran (39), Lewthwaite (49), Galea (53), Tallantire (79)
Goals: Carter 2/4

HORNETS
1 Max Flanagan
22 TJ Boyd
4 Junior Sa’u
11 Matty Unsworth
35 Alex Chippendale
6 Jamie Dallimore
25 Jack Hansen
34 Mark Ioane
9 Ross Whitmore
23 Chris Barratt
12 Ethan Wood
28 Harvey Braddish
13 Jordan Syme
Subs (all used)
8 Jaden Dayes
10 Lewis Hatton
19 Luke Waterworth
33 Isaac Coleman

Tries: Whitmore (10), Dallimore (55, 72), Flanagan (60)
Goals: Flanagan 1/2, Dallimore 2/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-2, 0-6, 6-6; 10-6, 14-6, 14-12, 14-18, 14-22, 20-22

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Town: Jaiden Tallantire; Hornets: Lewis Hatton

Penalty count: 4-6
Half-time: 6-6
Referee: Luke Bland