London Skolars 10 Hunslet Hawks 36
Skolars lost their last home game of the season against a strong Hunslet Hawks side who moved to second in the table after the win
Richard Moore signed for the Hawks just ahead of the transfer deadline and played a full 80 minutes often causing problems for the Skolars’ defence. Another of Hunslet’s late signings James Duckworth almost scored early on against the side he’d played for a fortnight ago. But we was bundled into touch and Skolars’ then counterattacked with Martyn Smith being held up over the line. It was one way traffic for the rest of the half.
After Tely Pelo had been penalised for a high tackle, Danny Maun found a gap in the defence on the left to race fifty metres to the tryline. An error by John Paxton taking a high ball saw the Hawks start a set close to the tryline and Luke Stenchion pushed past the defence with ease. They scored again from the next set with Anton Wilson setting up Thomas Coyle’s run for the line.
The fifth try of the half came as Moore exposed the Skolars’ right hand defence before offloading to Jimmy Watson. The visitors kept the pressure up after the restart, Duckworth being held over the line and then they showed strong chasing to push Mike Bishay back over his tryline for a goal-line drop-out.
When Gavin Duffy went in at the left corner, with David March kicking his sixth conversion, things looked grim for the homeside in their last game at Enfield Town FC’s ground before their return to New River next season. But they worked hard to exert some pressure and, although a Mike Bishay kick for Will Lovell was slightly too strong it, the resulting drop-out finally gave them a good position to attack from. Mufaro Mvududu battled his way over the line for his tenth try of the season. Iliess Macani made an impressive weaving sprint from deep in his own half, before Mvududu added a second try late on in the game.
LONDON SKOLARS
1 John Paxton
16 Iliess Macani
3 Anthony Cox
33 Mufaro Mvududu
34 Dennis Tuffour
6 Mike Biahay
7 Danny Yates
20 Tely Pelo
9 Martyn Smith
20 Erjon Dollapi
31 Lamont Bryan
12 Will Lovell
13 Olly Purslow
Subs (all used)
21 Michael Sykes
13 Louis Robinson
10 Sam Wellings
16 Sam Druce
Tries: Mvududu (57,76)
Goals: Bishay 1/2
HAWKS
2 Jimmy Watson
37 James Duckworth
3 Lee Brickwood
4 Danny Maun
36 Gavin Duffy
6 Thomas Coyle
7 James Coyle
38 Richard Moore
9 David March
8 Michael Haley
31 Luke Briscoe
11 John Oakes
26 Liam Mackay
Subs (all used)
20 Danny Ansell
15 Luke Stenchion
39 Ross Peltier
26 Aston Wilson
