LONDON BRONCOS 18 BARROW RAIDERS 10
HUW RICHARDS, Cherry Red Records Stadium, Sunday
LONDON came back from a ten-point deficit to keep their hopes of avoiding the Super Eight relegation playoffs alive, while striking a cruel blow to Barrow’s chances at the other end of the table.
With Widnes, their one realistic target outside the bottom four, winning at Sheffield to maintain their four-point advantage, and games against Toulouse, York and Oldham next on their fixture list, this was a must-win for London, which was acknowledged by their coach Mike Eccles.
”I’m very happy with the result,” said Eccles.
“It was really important that we stay in touch with Widnes.”
And he rejected any thought that, with plans to restructure the game meaning the playoffs are unlikely to involve serious jeopardy, London might welcome the extra games.
”It’s not something we want to get into. We’re very thin on the ground, and we saw the threat of teams like Dewsbury and Goole earlier this season,” he added.
London started well, with loanee Dan Okoro carrying hard into contact, but the Raiders did the early damage.
Brad Walker’s steepling bombs created scores in the 12th and 18th minutes for Luke Cresswell and Andrew Bulman. Walker missed one conversion, but a 10-point start looked potentially decisive until the 35th minute and one of the best moments of London’s season.
Sadiq Adebiyi has arguably never quite fulfilled the vibrant potential evident when he broke in as a teenager a decade ago. But he remains a key, stalwart figure for the Broncos, and sometimes produces reminders of that quality.
Breaking sharply out of defence he charged into Barrow’s half and found Aaron Small in support. Small was held around 20 metres short, but Barrow’s defence was fatally unsettled and London worked to the right for Ethan Natoli to send Jack Smith in at the right-hand corner.
Smith missed an extremely tough conversion attempt, but momentum had shifted.
With the clock ticking over the final seconds before the break, lively replacement halfback Tommy Porter – back with London after three years of northern experience while a student in Manchester – flicked out a rapid pass, Connor O’Beirne broke the line, and Natoli crossed. Smith missed the conversion again, but London were within two points at the break.
And the recovery was completed seven minutes after the break, with a sequence of play which began with London fullback Alex Walker taking three goes to catch a giant bomb from his namesake Brad before launching an attack which concluded with the Raiders fumbling O’Beirne’s subtle chip ten metres out.
From the scrum, London moved left and Walker’s line-straightening pass sent Luke Tindall over in the corner. Smith missed again, but a two-point lead gave London the crucial scoreboard edge through a thrillingly tense second half.
Somehow there was no scoring in the next half-hour. London had the edge in territory and pressure but Barrow showed impressive commitment in goal-line defence.
So tension mounted until the final minute when O’Beirne, who was grounded but not held, flicked up a pass for Alex Walker to cross. Smith, given an easy kick at last, completed the scoring.
GAMESTAR: Sadiq Adebiyi was a constant threat with the ball in his hands while fulfilling all of his defensive duties
GAMEBREAKER: Adebiyi’s slashing break to launch London’s comeback.
MATCHFACTS
BRONCOS
1 Alex Walker
33 Jack Smith
3 Ethan Natoli
20 Aaron Small
5 Liam Tindall
28 Jenson Binks
7 Connor O’Beirne
9 Curtis Davies
15 Dan Okoro
10 Lewis Bienek
12 Sadiq Adebiyi
11 Will Lovell
13 Marcus Stock
Subs
8 Huw Worthington
14 Charlie Robson (not used)
18 Ben Hursey-Hord
34 Tommy Porter
Tries: Smith (35), Natoli (39), Tindall (47), Walker (79)
Goals: Smith 1/4
RAIDERS
1 Luke Cresswell
4 Luke Broadbent
3 Shane Toal
18 Curtis Teare
2 Andrew Bulman
6 Brad Walker
9 Josh Wood
23 Joe Bullock
20 Aiden Doolan
8 Tom Walker
3 Matt Costello
11 Ellis Robson
13 Ryan King
Subs (all used)
16 Charlie Emslie
17 Ryan Shaw
21 Finn McMillan
32 Ryan Brown
Tries: Cresswell (12), Bulman (18)
Goals: B Walker 1/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-10, 4-10, 8-10; 12-10, 18-10
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Broncos: Lewis Bienek; Raiders: Brad Walker
Penalty count: 6-5
Half-time: 8-10
Referee: Marcus Griffiths