Gateshead Storm 26 Woolston Rovers 48

WOOLSTON Rovers continued their fine run of form with an impressive away performance that saw them defeat a tough Gateshead Storm side in the Kingstone Press National Conference League Division Three game on Saturday.

Rovers seem to have really started to click over the past few weeks and with only one league game left before the play-off semi-final they could well be peaking at the right time as they attempt to gain promotion up to Division Two.

Woolston opened the scoring in the third minute when a lovely ball from prop forward Chris Mellor found centre Tom Keevil who scored wide out on the left.

Winger Chris Twigg converted and nine minutes later a slick pass from stand-off Will Chadwick put second row Sean Conway through a gap and he raced twenty metres to score under the posts.

Twigg added the conversion.

Gateshead hit back when a high kick was allowed to bounce by Rovers and Storm full back James Pocklington profited by scoring in the right corner and shortly afterwards pressure on the Rovers’ line paid off when hooker Jack Adamson scored at the left of the posts.

Pocklington converted to leave his side just two points adrift.

Just before the half hour pressure by Rovers paid off when Chadwick found centre Justin Becher who ran onto the ball and scored in the right corner.

Twigg converted and then two minutes before the break second row Anthony Clayton made a great break and he found centre Tom Keevil on his inside who then passed to scrum half Billy Maunder and he stepped round the Storm defence to score at the right of the posts.

Twigg added the conversion.

There was still time for Rovers to add a further try before half time as Clayton found hooker Ryan Brown and his long ball was collected by Twigg who raced 50 metres to score in the left corner and give his side a commanding 28-10 interval advantage.

Rovers moved further ahead two minutes into the second half when a move started by Keevil was carried on by Clayton and Brown and they combined to find Maunder who broke through the Storm line to score at the side of the posts.

Twigg converted but then the Storm hit back when second row Jed Charlton scored after a spell of pressure on the Rovers’ line.

A handling error from Rovers then allowed Storm to regain the ball and scrum half Richard Moody pounced to score at the left of the posts and then Adamson spotted a gap in the Rovers line and darted over from dummy half.

On the hour the Storm went over once again when winger Lewis Davey broke through to score on the left to reduce the deficit to eight points but then Rovers switched back into gear and loose forward Harry Files sent full back Wil Maudsley on a 30-metre run to score in the right corner.

A break from the impressive Twigg paved the way for pro forward Jack Sherratt to race over under the posts.

Twigg converted and then in the final minute substitute Dan Fearnley found Brown in space and he put Conway away to score on the right and complete a fine 48-26 victory.

Man of the Match was awarded to Rovers’ substitute Simon McEvoy.

He was very well supported by Anthony Clayton, Tom Keevil, Billy Maunder and Harry Files whilst youngster Chris Twigg put in another mature performance on the wing.

Rovers: Wil Maudsley; James Rosson, Justin Becher, Tom Keevil, Chris Twigg; Will Chadwick, Billy Maunder; Jack Sherratt, Ryan Brown, Chris Mellor, Anthony Clayton, Sean Conway, Harry Files.

Subs: Andy Addison, Simon McEvoy, Dan Fearnley, Bobby McGregor.