Plucky Woolston Rovers withstand late comeback from Drighlington

WOOLSTON Rovers returned to action in the Kingstone Press National Conference League Division Three with an away trip to Bradford to face league newcomers Drighlington on Saturday afternoon and a magnificent all-round team performance saw them come away with a superb victory.

The game was played in torrential conditions with driving rain making handling very difficult but Rovers dug deep and withstood a late comeback from the home side to gain a thoroughly deserved win.

Drighlington got off to a dream start when they took the lead in the second minute when the ball was sent out wide to winger Kieron Roche who scored in the left corner but fourteen minutes later Rovers responded when a fine drive by loose-forward Chris Mellor put his side on the front foot and the ball reached second row Dan Fearnley who found scrum half Glyn Roberts and he raced away to score at the left of the posts.

Centre Lewis Hoarty added the conversion.

Two minutes before the break Rovers were awarded a penalty that put them deep into the Drighlington half and after some good pressure stand-off Billy Maunder found centre Paul Berry who went over in the left corner.

Hoarty converted superbly from the touchline to give Rovers a deserved 12-4 half time advantage.

Three minutes into the second half Berry found Maunder who put in a high kick and as Fearnley challenged for the ball it was fumbled by the Drighlington full-back and Rovers’ full-back Danny Garcia O’Brien pounced on the loose ball to score under the posts.

Hoarty added the simple conversion to put Rovers in control at 18-4.

With ten minutes remaining Drighlington gave themselves a lifeline when a handling error by Rovers following a kick through allowed hooker Steve McIntyre to score.

Scrum half Michael Sanderson converted and then five minutes from time a kick through by Sanderson bounced kindly into the hands of full-back Ollie Sharp and he scored at the left of the posts.

Sanderson added the conversion to narrow the gap to just two points but Rovers were in no mood to lose the game and safely held out to record a thrilling 18-16 success.

Man of the match was awarded to Rovers’ hooker Ryan Brown.

He was very well supported by prop forward Jack Sherratt, second-row Anthony Clayton, stand-off Billy Maunder and scrum-half Glyn Roberts.

Rovers: Danny Garcia O’Brien; James Rosson, Lewis Hoarty, Paul Berry, Christian Taylor; Billy Maunder, Glyn Roberts; Jack Sherratt, Ryan Brown, Bobby McGregor, Dan Fearnley, Anthony Clayton, Chris Mellor. Subs: Ryan Cosgrove, Graham Healey, Matt Clarke, Mark Robinson.