Few sides will score six tries at Whitehaven this season but Skolars went out of the cup in a 70 point thriller.

Whitehaven scored early though Matty Palmer, but Skolars responded quickly with Andy McLean forcing his way over from dummy half after a James Anthony break.

Skolars showed positivity as they decided to run a penalty rather than going for a kick ten metres out. They were nearly rewarded for their enterprise, but Smokie Junor was just forced into touch on the right.
Two quick fire tries changed the game. First Jessie-Joe Parker plucked the ball from the air from a high kick and there was little Junor could do to stop the Papua New Guinean international. Three minutes later Lee Paterson opened up the defence with a dummy before he offloaded to Parker.

Dave Houghton put Haven further ahead, but Skolars fought back, forcing a goal line drop out and then swinging the ball to the left for Ade Adebisi to score in the corner. Parker completed his hat-trick, but a Dylan Skee break opened a gap with Chris McNamara and James Anthony following up before releasing  Adebisi to add a second try against his old club just before the break to make the scoreline 26-14

Skolars were the dominant side after the restart, but Whitehaven’s defence denied them all but a Jack Dillon try, though a forward pass denied Junor the ball with an open line out on the right. That could have leveled the scores. Parker then crossed for his fourth try before Cain Southernwood broke from deep against the run of play and Skolars were 18 points down for the second time.

Skolars came back again.Smokie Junor scored in the corner to keep Skolars in contention before Skee slipped over from dummy half, then kicking his fourth conversion to narrow the margin to six points with nine minutes to go.

However, they couldn’t break through again and it was a very relieved Whitehaven who progressed to the next round.

WHITEHAVEN
1 Neil Thorman
2 James Cameron
3 Jessie Joe Parker
4 Scott McAvoy
5 Chris Fleming
13 Lee Paterson
7 Cain Southernwood
33 Rodney Pora
14 James Newton
10 Paul Cullnean
11 Lee Doran
21 Danny Barker
25 Matty Palmer

Subs (all used)
6 Jamie Rooney
8 Dave Houghton
22 Seb Martins
16 Martyn Wilson

Tries: Cullnean (5), Parker (22,25,36,56), Houghton (30), Southernwood (58)
Goals: Southernwood (5/7)

LONDON SKOLARS
1 James Anthony
2 Smokie Junor
4 John Paxton
18 Chris McNamara
5 Ade Adebisi
26 Andy McLean
7 Dylan Skee
10 David Williams
9 Martyn Smith
14 Olly Bloom
23 Jack Dillon
12 Mike Worrincy
13 Olly Purslow

Subs (all used)
8 Rob Thomas
16 Louis Robinson
27 Evan Simons
17 Danny Burke

Tries: McLean (11), Adebisi (32,40), Dillon (53), Junor (62), Skee (71)
Goals: Skee 4/6

Penalty count: 4-5

Half-time: 26-14
Referee: Chris Leatherbarrow

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-4, 12-4, 16-4, 22-4, 22-8, 26-8, 26-14, 26-20, 32-20, 38-20, 38-26, 38-32

Photograph: Martyn Wilson