: Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:23 am
Huddersfield Underbank Rangers 26 Hemel Stags 24
Hemel Stags opened their season with a narrow defeat at the hands of Huddersfield Underbank. The game was a great advert for the competition and both sets of players gave their all in front of a highly appreciative and healthy opening day crowd. The lead changed hands on several occasions as Rangers held on for a nerve jangling win.
Hemel started the livelier and centre Jared Searson made the first of several telling breaks, but the chance was snuffed out by the scrambling home defence. Rangers riposted with a long range break of their own through loose forward Darren Hawkyard, but the supporting Richard Flooks was hauled down inches from the line. Hemel punished the home side shortly after when prop Ben Kay pinched the ball in a one on one tackle and swiftly moved the ball to the left for Searson to touch down in the corner. BJ Swindells added the extras with a superb touchline conversion.Huddersfield then broke the Stags’ defence and from the ensuing play found winger Will Midgley with the overhead pass in acres of space for the speedster to score. Chris Thorley converted and the scores were tied. However, the next fifteen minutes belonged well and truly to Hemel Stags with half backs Brendan Williams and Scott Clendenning-Fenton calling all the shots and their big forward pack punching holes in the home defence. After Huddersfield had conceded back to back penalties, Hemel transferred the ball to the left where superior numbers allowed fullback BJ Swindells to crash over. Swindells missed the conversion, but he made no mistake two minutes late after Williams supported a Dean Campbell break to cross under the posts. The Stags were well worth their ten point advantage at this stage, but Rangers hit back with two quickfir tries of their own before the break. Firstly after another Burkinshaw break winger Nick Bellas crossed the whitewash and then after Hemel had conceded a penalty for dissent, Thorley took a tap restart and spotted the smallest of gaps in the Hemel armoury to score. Thorley couldn’t convert either try as the Stags went in at half time with a two point lead.
Thorley had the opportunity to level the scores early in the second stanza, but sliced a kickable penalty. However, Underbank weren’t to be denied as Burkinshaw handled twice in a thrilling power play, covering 50 metres and involving both Hawkyard and Carl Leach, to stretch out and score. Thorley converted to give rangers a four point lead, and that was soon reduced to two with a penalty from BJ Swindells for the markers not being square. Brenden Williams then showed what a class player he is as he ghosted through a huge gap, handed on to the supporting Campbell, but couldn’t take the return pass and the chance had gone. The Stags then received a penalty in kickable range, but declined to convert it, and their decision was justified as the impressive Michael Crosby burrowed his way over beneath a mound of defenders. BJ Swindells converted to once more give Hemel the lead. However, Rangers man of the match Hawkyard then conjured up a magical out of the back offload to send Richard Follks on a mazy 70 metre run to the line. Thorley kept his cool to convert the score and send the home crowd into raptures as Underbank once more headed their opponents. The final ten minutes Hemel was camped in the home teams half as they tried desparatley to find another score which would have sealed it, but couldn’t break the determined defence of the home side.
Hemel coach Troy Perkins was rueful after the game in his assessment. He said, “We missed several good chances in the second half and we have to learn to take them. All in all it was a good first hit out and will be stronger for the game.”
Huddersfield Underbank Rangers
1. Chris Thorley
2. Will Midgley
3. Napoleoni Vinaka
4. Richard Flooks
5. Nick Bellas
6. Simon Burkinshaw
7. Adam Browne
8. Richard Lofthouse
9. Joe Worthington
10. Dave Valentine
11. James O’Brien
12. Gary Keegan
13. Darren Hawkyard
Replacements (all used)
14. Lee McCafferty
15. Matthew Lodge
16. Ash Taylor
17. Carl Leach
Tries: Midgley (19), Bellas (30), Thorley (35), Burkinshaw (48), Flooks (67)
Goals: Thorley (3/6)
Hemel Stags
1. Barry Jon Swindells
2. Ashley Fyson
3. Jared Searson
4. Conor Boyd-Barnes
5. Stuart McIntyre
6. Brendan Williams
7. Scott Clendenning-Fenton
8. Ben Kay
9. Alex Brown
10. James Howitt
11. Tom Watts
12. Dean Campbell
13. Michael Crosby
Replacements (all used)
14. Joseph Compton-Meyer
15. Ian Grime
16. Tim Stevens
17. Gareth Swindells
Tries: Searson (10), BJ Swindells (24), Williams (26), Crosby (59)
Goals: BJ Swindells (4/5)
Half-time: Rangers 14 Stags 16
Referee – Nigel Taylor (Leeds)
Men of the Match:
Rangers – Darren Hawkyard
Stags – Brendan Williams
"shotgun" That's another double barrelled name 
