BetFred League 1 – 6 July 2019
London Skolars 20 Coventry Bears 36
In what is their derby game in League One this season, Skolars lost to the Midlanders, despite having been eight points up early in the second half.
They started strongly, forcing the Bears to defend for much of the opening part of the game, with Lameck Juma opening the scoring when ran onto a high kick from James Barran. They went further ahead three minutes later when they moved the ball wide straight from a scrum 20 metres out for Mo Agoro to score his first try for the club whilst on loan from Newcastle Thunder.
It took a desperate knock-down by Joe Sanderson to deny another try and Coventry had to defend again after a Barran kick into the in-goal forced Elliot Hall to concede a goal-line drop-out. Juma was then held up over the line and the visitors got out of their own half through a run by Jacob Jones. He was stopped by Lamont Bryan, but Sam Davis was able to burrow his way past the defence for Coventry’s first try.
Skolars responded quickly, Richard Wilkinson and Ronnie Palumbo setting up Agoro for his second try, this a time making having to leap in at the corner to make certain.
Liam Scott was held up over the line soon afterwards. Bryan stopped a try at the other end dislodging the ball from Hall’s clutches. However, there was no stopping the full-back rounding Mike Bishay after Joe Sanderson slipped him an inside pass.
After leading 16-12 at the break, Skolars again started the half strongly. A good run by Rob Tuliatu was followed by a deep kick Barran early in the tackle count that forced another goal-line drop-out. Coventry held out and then saw Kieran Sherratt touchdown, only to be denied by a forward pass. Scott was held up aftter another goal-line drop-out, but it was Coventry who again got onto the scoreboard when Freeman ran onto a Sanderson kick to the line.
They took the lead five minutes later when Sherratt broke through the defence before offloading to Hall, who played for Skolars last season. They then had to defend as Matt Davies and Dan Hindmarsh were held up over the tryline on the same set of six that finished with another another goal-line drop-out. The next Skolars attack saw a break from Wilkinson continued by Bryan. Once again Skolars had been held out by the Bears’ defence and the visitors went further ahead when Hall broke through on the left. He had a chance to go over himself, but made certain of the try by offloading to Sherratt.
Barran’s kick-off found touch, but Skolars couldn’t take advantage and Sherratt rounded off the afternoon by pushing off the defence to score his second try with three minutes remaining.
LONDON SKOLARS
1 Mike Bishay
5 Mo Agoro
3 Ronnie Palumbo
4 Lameck Juma
2 Iliess Macani
14 Richard Wilkinson
6James Barran
10 Judd Greenhalgh
9 Neil Thorman
22 Mike Greenhalgh
11 Jordan Williams
12 Lamont Bryan
13 Dan Hindmarsh
Subs (all used)
20 Matt Davies
17 Liam Scott
15 Rob Tuliatu
16 Jy-Mel Coleman
Tries: Juma (4,47), Agoro (7,26)
Goals: Thorman 2/4
