BetFred League 1 – 18th February 2023
London Skolars 16 Workington Town 58
Skolars first league game of the year saw them suffer a heavy defeat at the hands of a Workington side relegated from the Championship last season.
On a blustery day, the Cumbrian side made good use of the wind in their favour right from the start, gaining a goal-line drop-out as Skolars failed to prevent the kick-off bouncing over the dead-ball line. They forced a second drop-out from their next set, before Tom Curwen received the ball from Matty Henson at dummy half to go over by the posts.
They scored two more tries in quick succession. Fergus Simpson broke down the right for Max Moore to go over in the corner, followed three minutes later by Jordan cutting through the defence with ease.
Skolars showed some promise in attack, but too often they started their sets deep in their own half. They opened their scoring when Liam O’Callaghan went over from dummy half and had a good chance to narrow the deficit further after a penalty on the sixth tackle twenty metres from the tryline. However, they lost the ball on the first tackle and Workington counterattacked with Malik Steele touching down.
After Ciaran Walker’s try attempt was ruled out for a double movement, Skolars’ penalty failed to find touch and they were under pressure again. Joe Kirkup pushed his way over the line and the visitors scored again two minutes later when Jason Mossop slipped the ball out to Moore for his second try. The hooter sounded seconds after. Walker missed a difficult touchline conversion, his only miss in the afternoon.
Skolars gained possession early in the second half as Town lost the ball on the first tackle. Alex Deery drew in the left defence giving Jerome Yates space to go over by the cornerflag. However, Town made good use of the wind blowing against them with a high kick blowing back into the on-coming attack from the kick-off, allowing them to gain possession, with Kirkup scoring his second try. Three minutes later Simpson went over after a good run from Caine Barnes. Burns then broke the defence just inside Skolar’s half, with Sean Sabutey continuing the move and Ethan Bickerdike finishing off as Town hit the half-century. Skolars misjudged the wind when on a sixth tackle kick deep int the opposition half and were punished as Town moved the ball cross-field for Barnes to score.
Skolars scored the final points of the game when Deery got a hand to Shane Lee’s chip, re-gathering the ball in the air as he continued his run to the line.
LONDON SKOLARS
1 Louis O’Sullivan
5 Jerome Yates
3 Alex Deery
4 Aaron Small
2 Leighton Ball
6 Shane Lee
7 Jack Ryan
8 Lamont Bryan
18 Liam O’Callaghan
15 Todd Peut
11 Luciano Bejanidze
12 Jimmy Morgan
13 Matt Ross
Subs (all used)
9 Elliott Hutchings
21 Anthony Cox
10 Delaine Bedward-Gittens
19 Fraser Piercy-Farley
Tries: O’Callaghan (18), Yates (42), Deery (78)
Goals: Ryan 1/2, Lee 1/1
TOWN
1 Jordan Burns
19 Max Moore
4 Jason Mossop
5 Ethan Bickerdike
2 Sean Sabutey
6 Ciaran Walker
15 Fergus Simpson
8 Jordan Thomson
9 Matty Henson
13 Tom Curwen
12 Caine Barnes
11 Malik Steele
10 Steve Scholey
Subs (all used)
16 JJ Key
17 Joe Kirkup
14 Blain Marwood
20 Jack Stephenson
Tries: Curwen (3), Moore (10,40), Burns (13), Steele (26), Kirkup (38,45), Simpson (48), Bickerdike (52), Barnes (65)
Goals: Walker 9/10
Penalty count: 6-5
Half-time: 6-34
Referee: Matt Rossleigh
Att: 264
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12. 0-18. 6-18, 6-24, 6-30, 6-34; 10-34, 10-40, 10-46, 10-52, 10-58, 16-58
By Andrew Jackson
