Woolston Rovers 24 Rylands Sharks 22

WOOLSTON Rovers produced an unbelievable last gasp-victory over a very valiant Rylands Sharks side in a pulsating ‘derby’ fixture at Monks Sports Club.

The visitors led as the game moved into the final minute, but Dan Fearnley’s try and Chris Twigg’s conversion snatched the two points for the hosts.

After Nick Braide opened the scoring for Rylands, tries from Twigg, Josh Sudlow and Justin Becker gave Rovers a 12-point lead at the break.

However, the Sharks came back strongly and two more tries from Braide and one from Gavin Conroy looked to have won the game before Fearnley’s intervention.

Rylands opened the scoring in the third minute when a quick play the ball close to the Rovers line enabled Braide to crash over in the right corner, but Rovers responded shortly after when Twigg raced down the right wing to score in the corner and level the score.

Rovers went ahead for the first time when a clever chip from Billy Maunder was collected by Sudlow who scored under the posts.

Twigg added the conversion and then a high kick by Theo Holt was fumbled by the Sharks defence and Becker collected the loose ball to score in the right corner.

A penalty from Twigg stretched the lead to 16-4 at the break, but Rovers were not ready for what was to come in the second half.

After being awarded a penalty for offside, Rylands went through the hands and Braide powered over under the posts to set the wheels in motion.

Another Twigg penalty stretched the lead to two scores, but the visitors were not deterred and Braide crashed over from a short ball to complete his hattrick, with Luke Gillooley’s goal bringing the deficit to two points Almost immediately afterwards, Conroy broke through the Rovers line and raced forty metres to score at the left of the posts.

Gillooley added the conversion to put the visitors in front at 22-18 with less than ten minutes left on the clock.

Rovers were camped in the Rylands half trying to find a winner and it came with the last play of the match.

A brilliant Ryan Brown chip into the in-goal area was weighted to perfection and Fearnley came from nowhere to beat everybody to the ball and touchdown on the right.

Twigg belied his tender years to coolly slot over the conversion and give Rovers a very hard-earned 24-22 success.

Rovers: Maudsley; Twigg, Becker, Middlemore, Chadwick; Holt, Maunder; McGregor, Brown, Clarke, Fearnley, Clayton, Mellor. Subs: Taylor, Sudlow, Brown, Forster.

Sharks: Conroy; Harrison, Rigby, Woods, Gillooley; Harris, Walker; McAlpine, Doyle, Taylor, Clarke, Braide, Dean. Subs: Walker, Unsworth, Shaw, Campbell.