BetFred Challenge Cup Round 2 – 26th February 2023
Rochdale Hornets 42 London Skolars 4
Skolars were knocked out of the Challenge Cup at Spotland, in one of two all League 1 ties.
They enjoyed a good spell of possession deep in the opposition half. After Jacob Thomas had been held up over the line, they chose to tap a kickable penalty, with Matt Ross also being held up on the next set. They then had to defend and Dan Nixon was denied a try in the left corner for Hornets as he put a foot in touch before diving over the tryline. Skolars attacked again and when Luciano Bejandize followed up a kick that the home side allowed to bounce, he offloaded to Jerome Yates, who drew the defence before passing to Leighton Ball to score in the corner. Shane Lee missed a difficult conversion.
However, it wasn’t long before Rochdale took the lead through Will Cooke, after Skolars had conceded a penalty late in the tackle count. Then Joe Purcell finished off a Cian Tyrer break. Skolars then had a couple of opportunities, Yates being forced into touch, then Bejandize stole the ball, but lost possession as he was tackled. Lewis Else split Skolars defence for Ben O’Keefe to touchdown, with Dave Hewitt kicking one of several conversions from the touchline. It was Nixon and Else who combined for Hornets’ fourth try, with Else scoring two minutes before the break.
Hewitt added a try as the home side went further ahead and they scored again from their next set, with Cooke scoring his second try. Both sides went down to twelve players when Jerome Yates and Jack Arnold were sin-binned for their part in a fight. Despite there being more space on the field, Skolars defence improved, but after being penalised for offside twice in quick succession, Ben Killen scored Hornets’ final try with Hewitt adding his seventh conversion.
HORNETS
1 Joe Purcell
2 Cian Tyrer
3 Will Cooke
4 Ben O’Keefe
5 Dan Nixon
6 Lewis Else
7 Dave Hewitt
8 Zac Braham
9 Cameron Berry
10 Ben Killan
32 Duane Straugheir
12 Dan Brewin
17 Anthony Boardman
Subs (all used)
14 Aiden Roden
18 Jack Arnold
19 Ewan Badham
27 Ewan O’Hanlon
Tries: Cooke (13,53), Purcell (17), O’Keefe (24), Else (38), Hewitt (51), Killen (71)
Goals: Hewitt 7/7
Sin-bin: Arnold (63) – fighting
LONDON SKOLARS
1 Jacob Thomas
2 Leighton Balll
3 Jerome Yates
4 Aaron Small
5 Louis O’Sullivan
6 Alex Deery
7 Jack Ryan
8 Christian Gale
9 Shane Lee
20 Todd Peut
11 Luciano Bejandize
12 Jimmy Morgan
13 Matt Ross
Subs (all used)
14 Elliott Hutchings
15 Ed Brown
21 Delaine Bedward
19 Fraser Piercy-Farley
Tries: Ball (9)
Goals: Lee 0/1
Sin-bin: Yates (63) – fighting
Penalties: 11-6
Half-time: 24-4
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 6-4, 12-4, 18-4 24-4; 30-4, 36-4 ,42-4
By Andrew Jackson
