Crosfields 12 Woolston Rovers 12

CROSFIELDS and Woolston Rovers served up a pulsating local 'derby' in the Kingstone Press National Conference League Division Three last Thursday at Hood Lane Recreation Ground.

Rovers, looking to bounce back from two successive defeats, took the game to an in-form Crosfields side but failed to claim both points despite outscoring their opponents by three tries to two.

The visitors started much the stronger and took the lead after 14 minutes when stand off Will Chadwick and loose forward Chris Mellor combined close to the line to find centre Danny Garcia O’Brien.

The Spain international managed to get the ball down in the right corner despite the attention of four defenders.

Three minutes later, second row Anthony Clayton was held just short and from a quick play the ball scrum half Billy Maunder outwitted the home defence as he craftily burrowed over from dummy half.

Soap hit back just after the half hour mark when a lovely offload from prop forward Dave Boden found substitute Matt Barber, who stormed through a huge gap to score at the left of the posts.

Stand off Jack Reid converted but he was then sin binned three minutes before the break for preventing Rovers from taking a quick 20-metre restart as the half ended with Rovers holding a slender two-point advantage.

Fourteen minutes into the second half Rovers moved six points clear when a short ball from Maunder found centre Paul Berry, who scored in the left corner.

However six minutes before the end of the game some slick handling from Soap created room out wide and centre Troy Brophy took advantage of the space to score wide out on the right.

Reid converted superbly to level the scores.

Despite both sides having drop goal attempts the score remained the same.

Woolston Head Coach John Fieldhouse said: “I thought our defence was first class once again apart from the two lapses in concentration that resulted in Crosfields scoring.

“We controlled the game for long periods but never capitalised on the chances that we created and that has cost us a point.

“It was an excellent game between two committed sides played in a great spirit.

“We are still ‘work in progress’ so overall I am delighted with the effort that every player put in and I am confident that we will start stringing a few wins together over the next month or so.”

Woolston Rovers A return to action on Saturday at home against Bank Quay Bulls in the NWML Division Two. Kick off is 2.30pm at Monks Sports Club, Hillock Lane, Woolston.

Rovers’ NCL side have a week off next weekend and are next in action on Saturday, June 13 when they entertain Eastmoor Dragons.

Crosfields: John Whittaker; Luke Jones, Troy Brophy, Chris Burgess, Kieron Thomas; Jack Reid, Joe Clarke; Phil Brazendale, Hayden James, Dave Boden, Matt Mahoney, Lewis Bani, Steve Pickersgill. Subs: Joe Moore, Tom Millington, Declan Clarke, Matt Barber.

Woolston: Glyn Roberts; Jack Holt, Tom Keevil, Paul Berry, Shane Duffy; Graham Healey, Billy Maunder; Mark Robinson, Ryan Brown, Matt Clarke, Sean Conway, Jake Upton, Harry Files. Subs: Ryan Cosgrove, Sam Wood, Dan Fearnley, Jack Sherratt.