MIDLANDS HURRICANES 26 DONCASTER 24
IAN GOLDEN, Avery Fields, Sunday

MIDLANDS edged out Doncaster for a first league win of the year, with Matty Chrimes’ key effort with five minutes left being a contender for any competition’s try of the season.

The home side seemed to be well placed following a fluent first half hour, after which they were 16-0 up, but their visitors pulled a try back before the break, and proved far more competitive after it, eventually taking the lead.

Early on the Hurricanes tackled well, caught well, defended well and attacked well, and while both sides made a similar number of errors – two penalties given away by each and Midlands ahead on scrums 4-3 – it was the Birmingham team who took advantage.

They took the lead on five minutes. A six-again helped them upfield, leading to Luis Roberts picking up a chip kick to run home. Lewis Else converted.

The second try was similar. Roberts scored following another six-again, but this was at the end of a good passing move with the try being claimed wide out.

Midlands’ third came on 29 minutes. It was another good attacking set, with Else spotting a large gap in the Doncaster line to run through and notch. He goaled his own try nicely from just a metre in to make it 16-0.

Things were only spoiled for Midlands when a scrum was given away on their own ten-metre line with 90 seconds remaining. Edene Gebbie took advantage and scored wide out. It was the first occasion Doncaster had gone past the ten-metre line in the game.

That try must have boosted Doncaster, and they continued their comeback four minutes after the break when Reece Lyne scored following a scrum and six-again.

However Midlands struck back straight away. The ball was dropped from kick-off and Ryan Johnson ran over from the resulting scrum to make it 20-8.

Following a scrum and six-again, Doncaster got another try, Muizz Mustapha went in just to the left of the sticks and Cory Aston converted.

On the hour came the first try of the match which wasn’t from an error. It was a good set of six by Doncaster, ending with the lively Aston diving on his own grubber to leave only a two-point gap.

With the match reverting to type, his side’s next score came from a mistake, as Aston picked up a loose ball and ran 90 metres to go in between the posts and leave himself with a simple kick for a 24-20 lead with a quarter of an hour to go.

Doncaster, seeking a second league success, had a chance to put distance between themselves and Midlands as they pounded the home line. In the space of five minutes, they forced a goal-line drop-out, a scrum in an attacking position, a six-again, then another goal-line drop-out, but still didn’t score.

Then Midlands went back on the attack and forced the win. It was a stunning try wide out from Chrimes. Else did well to create it, and Chrimes defied gravity to ground the ball one-handed when diving and under pressure.

Else’s clinching touchline conversion was equally impressive and Midlands were back in front. Doncaster did have some further possession, but Midlands defended well.

GAMESTAR: Midlands halfback Lewis Else had another outstanding game, marshalled the backline well, and landed the victory-clinching conversion.

GAMEBREAKER: Matty Chrimes’ try and Else’s goal won the match for Hurricanes.

MATCHFACTS

HURRICANES
1 Todd Horner
2 Matty Chrimes
3 Ryan Johnson
4 Ross Oakes
5 Luis Roberts
6 Danny Craven
7 Lewis Else
8 Jon Luke Kirby
14 Brandon Moore
10 Tyler Dickinson
20 Toby Warren
12 Oliver Roberts
13 Mikey Wood
Subs (all used)
9 Aiden Roden
15 Elliot Morris
17 Kieran Moran
28 Isaac Shaw

Tries: L Roberts (5, 14), Else (29), Johnson (48), Chrimes (75)
Goals: Else 3/5

DONCASTER
1 Tom Holmes
18 Edene Gebbie
3 Brad Hey
4 Reece Lyne
23 James Glover
6 Cory Aston
24 Watson Boas
8 Brad Knowles
9 Greg Burns
25 Gadwin Springer
12 Alex Sutcliffe
22 Luis Johnson
30 Muizz Mustapha
Subs (all used)
16 Pauli Pauli
19 Connor Jones
21 Tyla Hepi
27 Titus Gwaze

Tries: Gebbie (39), Lyne (44), Mustapha (56), Aston (60, 65)
Goals: Aston 2/5

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 10-0, 16-0, 16-4; 16-8, 20-8, 20-14, 20-18, 20-24, 26-24

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hurricanes: Lewis Else; Doncaster: Cory Aston

Penalty count: 3-2
Half-time: 16-4
Referee: Kevin Moore
Attendance: 332