SHEFFIELD EAGLES 42 DEWSBURY RAMS 30
DAN FOWLER, MEPS International Home of Football Stadium, Sunday

FOR the second consecutive week, a blistering second-half performance gave Sheffield victory, this time against a Dewsbury side ruing another capitulation following their Barrow debacle.

The Rams went into half-time six points up, but by the 56th minute they were three scores down.

Sheffield’s introduction of Reiss Butterworth from the bench proved fruitful, the former Ram wreaking havoc from dummy-half. 

Meanwhile, Dewsbury fullback Bailey O’Connor was a standout for the visitors – his tricky kickoffs and elusive running game proving difficult for the hosts to deal with.

Sheffield broke the deadlock after five minutes with second-rower Connor Bower powering over from close range. Kai Morgan converted, as he did all the Eagles tries.

From the restart, O’Connor’s kickoff came up trumps when Morgan collided with teammate Will Oakes before knocking on. The Rams took full advantage with a move to the right and Liam Copland added the finishing touch. Jacob Hookem added the goal, as he would for all five of Dewsbury’s tries.

On the 13th minute, the game had its third score. Sheffield regained their advantage as Joe Brown strolled over for his first of the day.

Dewsbury levelled matters ten minutes later. The recent loan signing of Bradford hooker Mitch Souter gave them a spark and it was his grubber that Luke Nelmes got on the end of.

The West Yorkshire side took the lead for the first time in the contest on the half-hour, Tom Delaney squeezing over in the corner whilst under pressure from Greg Eden. Another tricky-looking kick for Hookem was made to look easy.

A quite crazy end to the half saw two tries in as many minutes. The Eagles looked to have struck the final blow of the half when Eden chimed into the line to finish off a scrum play.

However, from the kickoff Dewsbury got the ball back before a loose offload ended in a knock-on. With five seconds remaining, rather than taking the tackle on their own 10-metre line and going in level, they had other ideas.

An Abdull kick from the scrum was charged down by Hookem, who touched down for a remarkable end to the first 40, with his conversion putting Dewsbury six points up.

Would the Eagles come out for the second half shellshocked?

Not at all, as an early goal-line dropout put the pressure on and that soon told when George Griffin had too much power for the Rams’ defence.

The hosts went back-to-back when fast hands to the right edge put Brown in for his brace for 30-24.

Dewsbury were trying too hard to make things happen when more composure was required to get them back into the game.

With strong Sheffield defence looking likely to force a goal-line dropout, Dewsbury rolled the dice with a dangerous offload which ended disastrously as Butterworth picked up the pieces to dot down.

It was almost game over with the hour mark approaching when Alex Foster forced his way over and somehow got the ball down amongst traffic to put three scores between the sides at 42-24. 

The Rams managed a consolation two minutes from time, the impressive O’Connor getting through the line and touching down.

GAMESTAR: Reiss Butterworth gave Sheffield a much needed spark to turn this one around.

GAMEBREAKER: Dewsbury offloading inside their own ten metres and Butterworth going over knocked the wind out of the visitors’ sails.

MATCHFACTS

EAGLES
28 Greg Eden
2 Joe Brown
19 Will Oakes
4 Kieran Gill
5 Billy Walkley
6 Kai Morgan
27 Jordan Abdull
16 Blake Broadbent
9 Corey Johnson
10 Martyn Reilly
11 Connor Bower
23 Alex Foster
15 George Griffin
Subs (all used)
3 Josh Hodson
13 Jack Bussey
14 Reiss Butterworth
17 Harry Bowes

Tries: Bower (5), Brown (12, 47), Eden (39), Griffin (44), Butterworth (53), Foster (56)
Goals: Morgan 7/7

RAMS
29 Bailey O’Connor
5 Liam Copland
27 Connor Carr
4 George Senior
2 Tom Delaney
6 Dan Coates
7 Jacob Hookem
8 Luke Nelmes
– Mitch Souter
16 Louis Collinson
15 Jacob Bateman
23 Brad Graham
35 Danny Addy
Subs (all used)
13 Dec Tomlinson
17 Harvey Roberts
21 Monty Lumb
28 Jacob Algar

Tries: Copland (7), Nelmes (23), Delaney (30), Hookem (40), O’Connor (78)
Goals: Hookem 5/5

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 12-6, 12-12, 12-18, 18-18, 18-24; 24-24, 30-24, 36-24, 42-24, 42-30

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Eagles: Reiss Butterworth; Rams: Bailey O’Connor

Penalty count: 6-7
Half-time: 18-24
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 565