WHITEHAVEN 28 NORTH WALES CRUSADERS 24
JORDAN WEIR, The Ortus Rec, Saturday
WHITEHAVEN ended their first season under Anthony Murray with a home victory over League One champions North Wales Crusaders despite a ten point deficit at half-time to grab their third successive victory and the first victory over North Wales at home since 2012.
Olly Davies was involved in the game’s first incident where he was sent to the sinbin for a late tackle on Haven half back Jack Newbegin. It was the visitors however that got the contest’s opening score while still down to 12 men when Sam Wilde powered over from short range, Jordy Gibson failing to add the extras from the touchline. Haven hit back just into the second quarter following magnificent interplay from Jack Kellett and Brad Brennan with the former crossing the whitewash to level the scores. Dan Abram’s conversion the home side the smallest of leads.
The half-time advantage went to the champions however with Patrick Ah Van and Kieran Taylor scoring on the right hand side edge. Ah Van was the benefactor of a Taylor offload to finish in the corner while Taylor was the fastest to react from a kick behind from Gibson. Gibson was able to convert both tries to give the Welsh outfit a ten point lead.
That lead was eradicated before the hour mark with scores from Ellison Holgate and Jay Weatherill. A penalty and a set restart had marched the Cumbrians down the field and knocking on the door of the Crusaders’ try line. That was until Holgate scooted from dummy half to break the door down and reduce the deficit as Abram was successful with the conversion. Weatherill’s try seemed to come from nowhere. Haven had come left on the final tackle and seemed to have selected the wrong option until a neat chip from Weatherill. The winger chased the ball more in hope than expectation, but ended up over the line to draw the game level. Abram’s successful conversion nudged Haven ahead.
Four minutes later, Ah Van scored his second of the contest. The winger’s powerful frame was too much for Weatherill to deal with as the former Widnes man powered towards him to ground the ball in the right hand side corner though Gibson’s goal attempt failed from out wide.
An eventful period of the game for Weatherill continued as he scored his second of the afternoon. Kellett broke down the field following a perfectly timed pass from Newbegin. Kellett had the halfback to his right while Weatherill on his left. Kellett found Weatherill with 30 metres to go and he crossed the whitewash untouched, Abram adding the extras once more.
The match then fell into farcical territory with all 26 players involved in a scuffle following a high tackle on Jake Pearce. Davies saw his second yellow of the game while Kellett was also sinbinned for his involvement, and Chris Barratt saw yellow as well for dissent when speaking to the match official. Haven added an extra two points through Abram following the penalty. Crusaders hit back as the hooter sounded as Matt Reid grounded the ball out wide following Haven losing the ball from a short kick off. Reid couldn’t add the extras from out wide in his final act before retiring.
GAMESTAR: Ellison Holgate. Started the game at hooker before a move to Loose forward saw an 80 minute performance topped off with a try.
GAMEBREAKER: The Dan Abram penalty goal following the three sinbinnings gave Haven the victory despite a late try from Crusaders.
WHITEHAVEN
6 Dan Abram
22 Max Anderson-Moore
32 Mitchell Todd
4 Ethan Bickerdike
5 Jay Weatherill
1 Jordan Burns
7 Jack Newbegin
8 Jake Pearce
9 Ellison Holgate
16 Brad Brennan
11 Connor Holliday
19 Rio McQuistan
13 Jack Kellett
Subs (all used)
14 Luke Collins
21 Ellis Nixon
2 Daniel Spencer-Tonks
18 Aaron Turnbull
Tries: Kellett (22), Holgate (48), Weatherill (58, 69)
Goals: Abram 6/6
Sinbin: Kellett (78) – fighting
CRUSADERS
1 Lloyd Roby
21 Ollie Brookes
4 Matt Reid
3 Kieran Taylor
5 Patrick Ah Van
6 Toby Hughes
7 Jordy Gibson
23 Paddy Jones
14 Joe Baldwin
10 Chris Barratt
11 Sam Wilde
17 Matty Unsworth
13 Olly Davies
Subs (all used)
19 Josh Eaves
8 Jack Houghton
27 Ben Evans
12 Cole Oakley
Tries: Wilde (12), Ah Van (28, 62), Taylor (35), Reid (80)
Goals: Gibson 2/4, Reid 0/1
Sinbin: Davies (9) – late tackle, (78) fighting, Barratt (78) – dissent
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 6-4, 6-10, 6-16; 12-16, 18-16, 18-20, 20-20, 26-20, 28-20, 28-24
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of The Match
Whitehaven: Ellison Holgate
Crusaders: Chris Barratt
Penalty count: 8-11
Half-time: 6-16
Referee: Aaron Belafonte