Thornhill Trojans 30 Woolston Rovers 6

WOOLSTON Rovers' hopes of automatic promotion were all but ended in defeat at Thornhill Trojans in the Kingstone Press National Conference League Division Three on Saturday.

Thornhill opened the scoring after twelve minutes when winger Adam Bird scored in the left corner. Full back Joel Gibson converted and there was no further score until two minutes before the break when centre Mindaugas Bendikas scored a very dubious try in the left corner to give his side a 10-0 half time lead.

Thornhill moved further ahead three minutes into the second half when winger Adam Allerton scored in the right corner and that was soon followed by another try for Allerton after some quick hands had stretched the rovers defence. Gibson converted the latter.

Rovers had stand off Ryan Brown sin binned for dissent and the Trojans took advantage of the extra man on the hour when loose forward Scott Green scored under the posts to give Gibson a simple conversion and then Trojans scrum half Danny Ratcliffe and Rovers prop forward Jack Sherratt were both dismissed following a flare up.

Five minutes from time Thornhill scored their sixth try of the afternoon when Bendikas scored in the left corner but in the final minute Rovers were rewarded for their brave effort when Brown broke clear before kicking ahead and centre Tom Keevil was quickest to react and collect the ball and he passed back to Brown who scored under the posts. Winger Danny Garcia O’Brien converted to make the final score 30-6 to Thornhill.

Best for Rovers were Billy Maunder, Anthony Clayton, Ryan Brown, Chris Mellor and Jack Sherratt.

Rovers: Will Chadwick; Danny Garcia O’Brien, Tom Keevil, Paul Berry, Chris Twigg; Ryan Brown, Billy Maunder; Jack Sherratt, Harry Files, Sean Conway, Anthony Clayton, Jake Upton, Chris Mellor. Subs: Tom Woodward, Dan Fearnley.