BetFred League 1
London Skolars 12 Coventry Bears 14
Skolars missed out on a chance to catch the pack of sides on the fringes of the play-offs spots, losing after Coventry kicked a penalty goal two minutes before full-time, the visitors having missed a similar opportunity a few minutes earlier.
Lameck Juma returned from suspension and opened the scoring after being alert to pick up a loose ball from high kick from Neil Thorman to touchdown. They then had a good spell of possession and three penalties in quick succession, but chose to kick for goal when in range, but Neil Thorman missed from 15 metres out. Max Clarke was held up over the line and Thorman didn’t miss when they were awarded another penalty.
Coventry improved their discipline and the next seven penalties went their way before they were penalised again
They opened their scoring when Liam Welham darted through the defence to score with ease. After a stoppage which saw Elliot Townsend helped off the field, Peter Ryan was held up over the line and a forward pass ruled out another Bears move close to the tryline.
When Skolars did have the ball they often lost possession early in the tackle count, although when they did stay in possession, Jacob Thomas’ kicking ensured Coventry had to start those set from deep, forcing a goal-line drop-out just before the break.
The Bears hadn’t made their possession count in the closing stages of the first half, but continued to pile pressure on after the restart, beginning with a good break from deep from Kadeem Williams on the first set. They then had a further set for a Skolars’ infringement and Dave Scott he stretched out through the defence to score, Dan Coates adding his second conversion of the afternoon as the Bears took the lead for the first time.
That lead didn’t last long, Juma scoring his second try when he was first to get to Thomas kick to the left corner. Thorman missed a difficult conversion, but the next minute summed up much of the second half. The Bears kick off went five metres over the deadball line, but Skolars’ penalty failed to find touch.
Coates next kick was better and Thomas did well to stop a 40-20 attempt.Thomas kicked well, his kick deep into in-goal saw a good chase from Thorman Nathan Hill losing possession as he tried to get over the line, but the referee adjudged a strip and the Bears had a relieving penalty.When they got close to the tryline, the pass setting-up a potential drop-goal wasn’t clean; the resultant passing to the right saw Williams bundled into touch.
After Peter Ryan was sin-binned for a tip tackle with five minutes remaining, Skolars had a chance for a drop-goal, but with no-one looking out for Thomas who was well-positioned, they moved the ball to the right and Kam Pearce-Paul was bundled into touch.
Coventry advanced upfield and were awarded a penalty, five metres into the Skolars’ half. Coates effort went wide, but a late hit by Aaron Small when they got the ball back gave him a second chance, the half-back succeeding this time from slightly closer but slightly wider.
LONDON SKOLARS
7 Iliess Macani
16 Max Clarke
3 Aaron Small
4 Kam Pearce-Paul
5 Lameck Juma
2 Omari Caro
25 Louis Singleton
6 Jacob Thomas
10 Lamont Bryan
9 Neil Thorman
18 Matt Ross
21 Paulos Latu
12 Chris Ball
13 Mike Greenhalgh
Subs
8 Judd Greenhalgh
15 Malakhi Lloyd-Jones
14 Louis Singleton (not used)
19 Christian Gale
Tries: Juma (5.57)
Goals: Thorman 2/4
Sin-bin Small (78)
BEARS
1 Nathan Hill
2 Elliot Wallis
3 Jack Dawson
20 Kadeem Williams
23 Reece Rance
7 Dan Coates
6 Dave Scott
8 Peter Ryan
9 Chris Collimore
22 Brad Clavering
4 Liam Welham
12 Kieran Sherratt
13 Ryan Langton
Subs (all used)
14 Elliot Townsend
18 Elliot Windley
5 Hayden Freeman
15 Will Budd
Tries: Welham (23), Scott (42)
Goals: Coates 3/4
Sin-bin: Ryan (75) – tip tackle
Penalty count: 8-10
Half-time: 8-6
Referee: Liam Rush
Att: 190
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 8-0, 8-6; 8-12, 12-12,12-14
