BetFred League 1 – 20th August 2023
Hunslet 56 London Skolars 14
Skolars fell to another defeat with Hunslet running in ten tries, although four of those came in the last ten minutes as Skolars tired.
An early break by Hunslet saw Matt Beharrell open the scoring for the South Leeds side. They added another try in the sixth minute when Adam Ryder went over in the corner. Skolars responded with Phil Lyon forcing a goal-line drop-out. The next set saw Lyon put another kick into the in-goal area, but his way was blocked by Beharrell who received a yellow card for the obstruction.
Abevia McDonald was held up over the line before Max Allen burst through the defence on the right to score.
Steve Crossley went over for Hunslet just before Beharrell returned from the sin-bin meaning Miles Lawford took over the kicking duties. Skolars forced another drop-out after Aaron Small had gone close, but they couldn’t break the defence and the home side went further ahead after Jonathan Campbell touched down. He nearly scored again after a break from deep in his own half before chipping the ball over the defence but Louis O’Sullivan got to the ball first.
Beharrell was making up for his earlier defence with some superb kicking, first a penalty kick that gained his side 50 metres with a 40-20 kick soon after. However, Hunslet’s next attack saw the ball go loose and it was picked up by Jamaican international Abevia McDonald and there was stopping him as he raced 85 metres to the line.
Lyon converted the try leaving Skolars twelve points behind at half-time, but it was Hunslet who scored first after the restart through Campbell, going further ahead when a break by Lawford was finished off by Jordan Syme. Aaron Small forced his way over for Skolars’ third try after debutant Jack Harbridge intercepted, Lyon’s conversion attempt hitting the post.
Lawford weaved his way through the Skolars’ defence from 40 metres out to score with ten minutes remaining. Campbell completed his hat-trick leaping to take the ball in the corner. Harbridge intercepted a second time, with Small continuing the run, but Skolars could keep the move going and tries for Joe Burton and Lewis Wray both converted by Beharrell rounded off the game.
HUNSLET
1 Jimmy Watson
2 Jack Render
3 Adam Ryder
4 Joe Burton
5 Jonathan Campbell
30 Matt Beharrell
18 Miles Lawford
29 Spencer Darley
7 Nathan Conroy
10 Steve Crossley
11 Josh Jordan-Roberts
16 Jordan Syme
26 Jordan Bull
Subs (all used)
37 Ollie Burton
15 Nathan Newbould
17 Lewis Wray
19 Marcus Green
Tries: Beharrell (3), Ryder (6), Crossley (18), Campbell (25,46,74), Syme (56) Lawford (70), J Burton (78), Wray (80)
Goals: Beharrell 7/9, Lawford 1/1
LONDON SKOLARS
1 Louis O’Sullivan
2 Abevia McDonald
3 Lameck Juma
4 Aaron Small
5 Leighton Ball
6 Alex Deery
7 Phil Lyon
10 Todd Peut
9 Tommy Porter
15 Mal Lloyd-Jones
11 Max Allen
21 Fraser Piercy-Farley
13 Liam O’Callaghan
Subs (all used)
19 Matt Ross
8 Christian Gale
12 Jack Harbridge
18 Ed Brown
Tries: Allen (11), McDonald (37), Small (60)
Goals: Lyon 1/3
Penalty count: 3-3
Half-time: 18-4
Referee: Matthew Lynn
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 12-4,18-4, 22-4, 22-10; 28-10, 34-10, 34-14, 40-14, 44-14, 50-14, 56-14
