Kingstone Press Championship 1
York City Knights 38
London Skolars 28
Skolars put in a strong performance in their final game of the season but were outplayed by a York City Knights side that finished top of the league.
Whilst the Knights were due to receive the league leaders plate at the end of the game, it was clear that they were looking to go into the play-offs with a win with Benn Hardcastle pouncing on a Lamont Bryan error to open the scoring in the second minute.
Though more regularly a forward, Bryan was named at scrum-half but the early mistake aside appeared to relish the freedom that the role presented. He set up Skolars’ first try, side-stepping the defence on half-way before offloading to Martyn Smith. York regained the lead after Lee Paterson’s pass found Ben Reynolds in space.
Skolars closed the gap when Kazeem Fatouri-Edwards found a gap in the defence after a long pass from Danny Yates. But the Knights hit back with three tries before half-time. Greg Minikin skipped around the defence, before tries from Ed Smith and Reynolds, who scored his second try of the game, also ending up with five conversions.
It was the Knights’ last league game before the Huntingdon Stadium is demolished to make way for a new ground which will be shared with the city’s football club. Skolars’ looked determined to spoil the day as they fought back in the second half.
Martyn Smith darted over the tryline after Sam Wellings had gone close. After Kriss Brining had scored for York, Mufaro Mvududu picked up a loose York pass on the half-way line, racing to the tryline for his 12th try of the season, edging ahead of Smith to finish as Skolars’ top try scorer in 2014.
When Fatouri-Edwards scored his second, this time taking a kick from Yates, who also kicked his fourth conversion of the afternoon, Skolars were just four points behind and with strong running from Louis Robinson and Bryan, Skolars were showing some of their best form of the season. They got in a good position to score again, but John Paxton’s effort from close range saw him bundled into touch.
Ultimately the league leaders’ celebrations weren’t going to be spoilt as James Saltonstall weaved past the defence to score for York, through the 10 point margin meant that Skolars edged back ahead of Oxford to finish seventh in the league.
KNIGHTS
26 Ben Reynolds
25 James Saltonstall
27 Tyler Craig
4 Greg Minikin
5 Ben Dent
6 Pat Smith
23 Benn Hardcastle
34 Brad Brennan
9 Jack Lee
28 Colton Roche
29 Ryan Backhouse
12 Ed Smith
13 Lee Paterson
Subs (all used)
14 Kriss Brining
10 Jack Aldous
18 Austen Bell
35 Josh Tonks
Tries: Hardcastle (2), Reynolds (16,37), Minikin (26), Smith (33), Brining (52), Saltonstall (76)
Goals: Reynolds 5/7
LONDON SKOLARS
1 John Paxton
31 Judd Greenhalgh
19 Kazeem Fatouri-Edwards
4 Mufaro Mvududu
5 Dennis Tuffour
7 Danny Yates
22 Lamont Bryan
20 Tely Pelo
9 Martyn Smith
8 Michael Sykes
11 Anthony Cox
12 Will Lovell
10 Dave Williams
Subs (all used)
14 Louis Robinson
13 Olly Purslow
6 Sam Druce
21 Sam Wellings
Tries: Smith (7,48), Fatouri-Edwards (23,62), Mvududu (58)
Goals: Yates 4/5
Penalty count: 5-4
Half-time: 26-10
Referee: Dave Sharpe
Attendance: 643
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 12-6, 12-10, 18-10, 22-10, 26-10, 26-16, 32-16, 32-22, 32-28, 38-28
