Featherstone Lions 45 – 16 Hunslet Warriors
With what had the potential to be the match of the week within the Yorkshire League, Featherstone hit top form and made Hunslet Pay.
Featherstone started well with strong running from John Fowler, James Dunn and Marc Richardson. This was supported by excellent tackling out wide from Centres Stephen Clough and Adam Hepworth. 10 minutes into the game and Featherstone got there first points on the board with good link up play, off half backs Johnson and Frankland managing to send in Ryan Mallinder. Kick missed.
Within minutes of the restart Hunslet powered over after some poor defence from the Lions. 4-4.
With both defences holding out well it took a dancing run from Full Back Sam Wilson cutting inside 5 defenders off a Johnson Pass to go in under the Posts. Evans Converted. Lions were getting confident and started using planned moves and this resulted in Hepworth, Wilson and Hardcastle linking up well to send in Gale out wide again converted. Lions 16-4.
With minutes till Half Time, quick thinking from hooker Ricky Williams resulted in him picking the ball up and worming his way over under the posts. Within Seconds of the restart Hunslet Knocked on, Lions drove the ball to the posts, and Johnson kicked a drop goal for Lions to go in at half time 21-4 ahead.
Lions went to sleep just after half time resulting in Hunslet scoring 2 trys within 5 minutes and a comeback looked on the cards.
Coach Craig Barker made changes within the forwards bringin on Aaron Thirling and Craig Machon, proving to be a nuisense in the middle of the field, making valuable metres and hard, strong tackles. This allowed Frankland to send in Wilson again outwide. Converted 27 – 12.
With Frankland in top form and deadly with his boot he stepped up to score 2 quick fire trys. His first stepping through the defence to score under the posts and his second running 30 metres down the touchline. 35 – 12.
Next to score for Lions was Williams picking up his second of the afternoon. A quick play the ball from James Dunn allowed Williams to race 60 metres to score. Frankland Converted. 41 – 12.
Featherstone then had to soak up alot of pressure within their own half forced to tackle for back to back sets. Tackle Machine James Dunn greatly in the thick of the action.
Lions allowed Hunslet to score, after falling to stop ex- Castleford Tigers Prop Dean Sampson. Featherstone then hit back once again with Mallinder, Dunn and Jordan Gray making metres up the Middle. Frankland and Johnson hit Stephen Carr outwide who was stopped just short. This allowed Frankland, Hardcastle and Thirling to link up to send Adam Hepworth over for the Final Try.
Featherstone Lions 24-22 Normanton Knights
Featherstone make hard work of local rivalry!
With 6 members of The lions squad missing due to work commitments or injury, featherstone were made to work hard throughout.
After 2 minutes played the lions struck first with an excellent backline play directly from a scrum inside the normanton half with frankland and Hollings combining well to send Gareth gale in the corner. Kick unsuccessful.
The rest of the half belonged to normy who were playing all the rugby within the lions half. 2 trys within minutes of each other n 2 kicks put normanton 12-4 at half time.
After half time both teams were struggling to keep hold of possession but with a mistake from normantons forwards it was lions who managed to put points in the board, second rower aarron thirlings perfectly weighted kick to Sam Wilson who Rose above 2 defenders and managed to offload to Josh Evans who went over in the corner.
Frankland then received the kick and linked up well with influential John smith and ever present Anthony Yates to get to 5 metres inside normantons half. A quick play from Yates allowed scrum half Wilson to look up and step his way through the defence going in under the posts. Frankland converted. Lions 14-12 up.
With ten minutes to play it was poor defence again from lions and normanton once again powered over from 5 yards. Again converted. And a penalty conversion put normy 20-14 ahead.
With good work from forwards smith, thirling, the Hepworth brothers in defence it meant that full back
Hollings collected the ball on his own 20 and with his speed and superb foot work he managed to beat all 13 defenders to go the length of the field converted by frankland.
Normanton with there never say die attitude again came back at lions, there forwards making valuable metres, resulting in lions giving a silly penalty away with minutes to go, again converted brilliantly. Normy 22-20
So with 2 minutes on the clock featherstone were fighting for there 100 % record, and needed something magical and this came off a normanton kick which looked safe, Hollings collected inside his own try area, he then sprinted back at the tired normy defence, used his feet and shot between 2 defenders again going the length of the pitch to win the game for Craig barkers youthful squad.
Nicholl, smith, thirling and Yates all tackled superbly throughout and never took a backwards step.
ZOOT FASHION MOM WINNERS WERE:
Best for Lions were:
Backs: Hollings and Clough
Forwards: Thirling, Nicholl and Hardcastle
O/Age Upton 10 Featherstone Lions 18 161010
A fierce game between two local rivals
With the Lions fielding a team averaging a age of only 21 years, Upton decided on bullying tactics with head shots causing 4 lions players to retire at different intervals for medical treatment before re entering the field of play
Lions came to play rugby with them quickly slicing through the Upton defence in the 1st set of six of play, with fast paced forward, James Dunn regaining the kick off a well placed kick off Lions Richard Frankland chipping through 0-4
Only 3 minutes later, Next with the Lions off to a flyer and upton like rabbits in the headlights", was the young Josh Evans to steam his way over outwide with conversion by Frankland to make it 0-10
With Lions holding all the cards through their forwards Arron Thirling , James Dunn and Ryan Mallander setting the plateform only to de undone by their own mistakes in their own half conceding possesion to give Upton their first taste of the ball before a blatent forward pass lead to the home team scoring outwide 6-10
With high shots going in and the Lions failing to get the penalties they justly deserved Lions let themselves be drawn into playing one man rugby and putting only themselves under pressure with lost possession, but with young forwards Jack Candlin, John Smith, Anthony Yates and Dunn to the fore in tackling their hearts out on back to back sets on their own line Lions grafted their selves up field before being rewarded with their 1st penalty of the game before the break with Richard Frankland guiding it home to go in at 6-12 at the break
With 5 minutes played The Lions went further ahead when the returning John Smith backing up Josh Evans who broke through 2 defenders to offload, setting Smith up for a blistering run to the line 6-18 with Lions in total command
Upton again using tactics of old with "3rd men in" a repation through out causing the Lions to lose their focus leading to Upton regathering possesion
and helped with a number of baffling referee decisions going against them, came back to score 10-18
With only 17 minutes remaining and the Lions regaining their flow before Upton again using dirty tactics lead to the a flare up between the teams
before a Upton spectator threatened the ref leading to the abandonement of this highly charged game with Lions named worthy winners due to league rules subject to disiplinary procedures
A great overall team performance of which the lads can be proud,
Best for Lions were:-
Backs Lee Johnson/Ricky Williams
Forwards:- Ryan Mallinder, Jack Candlin, James Dunn and John Smith
Featherstone Lions 54 Chequerfield 0 091010
The Lions fielding a bolstered side with new players that have come through the Lions conveyer belt of talent, setting the benchmark for their place
With Josh Evans and James Dunn making fine debuts on the day combining in some fine flowing rugby that bolds well for the Open Age ranks at the club
Lions were quickly into their stride with Steve Carr dancing his way through the opponents defense 6-0 with Richard Frankland goal
Next up was the dynamic Ricky Williams out pacing the defense on the outside to score 12-0 up with Richard Frankland goal
With the Lions opponents not having a answer to the Lions speed and their dominating pack, setting the ground work before Ricky Williams burst through outwide to outpace 3 would be defenders to score 18-0 with Richard Frankland goal on the 12 minute mark
With the Lions forwards of Kyle Littlewood, Aarron Thirling and John Fowler punching holes in the defense then with half backs Jack Candlin, Frankland and Williams and a copy book pass off Sam Wilson to send Luke Beecher on a gallop to the line 24-0 with Richard Frankland goal before the break
After the interval the Lions didnt let up with John Fowler setting the pace before offloading to Sam Wilson to step his way through to the whitewash 30-0 with Richard Frankland goal
With Frankland running the show before chipping through for Luke Beecher to race through and regather before pacing his way over the line 36-0 with Richard Frankland goal
The Lions in full flow with young Jack Candlin and Adam Hepworth linking up to send Sam Wilson on his way to step his way through and score under the posts 42-0 with Richard Frankland goal
With the Lions players lineing up to score was Richard Frankland using nifty feetwork to step through on his way to the line 46-0
Straight from the kick off Craig Machen making good yards before James Dunn crashed over taking 3 defenders on his back to score 50-0
With the seconds ticking down the Lions wanted more of the spoils with Josh Hepworth putting in the yards to set up Sam Wilson on a 30 yds burst of power to the line rolling 3 defenders on the way in try of the game moment that summurises this revised Lions side and sent in Wilson for his Hat Trick Try!
MOM: James Dunn
Best Backs: Frankland, Wilson and Hepworth
Best Forwards: Dunn, Thirling!
Featherstone Lions 26 Crofton 16
A hard fought battle between two local sides with Lions creative play bringing home the spoils in the later stages of the game with the sides going in level at 16-16 after Sam Wilson opened up with a try outwide and a further try by Luke Beecher taking the Lions to 10-4 with the later converted by Richard frankland, before the visitors hit back before Lions went further on the run through a crashing try by Arron Thirling before the break with conversion by Richard Frankland 16-16. After the break Lions edged ahead through good play by MOM Lee Johnson creating the play for Sam Wilson to score with Richard Frankland Goal going up 22-16 with 10 minutes to play then Lee Johnson scoring the final try to end the game 26-16 win to the Lions
Best for Lions were MOM Lee Johnson, Sam Wilson and forwards Kyle Littlewood and Craig Machen
Locklane 8 Featherstone Lions 36
The Lions totally dominated this local derby game from the off before a slip of hand lead to a interception try in the 1st 5mins of play giving the home side a misleading advantage 4-0 missing the kick
With Lions forwards making the platform through good work by John Fowler and Jack Candlin setting the groundword for Steve Carr to score outwide 4-4
The Lions settling into there stride camped in their opponents half were only guilty of trying to push things too early and losing possesion in key plays costing them dear at times before the Lively Lee Johnson shot through the opening to score with Sam Wilson Kick 4-10 on the 10 min mark.
Next up was Luke Beecher to score using his pace outwide 4-14 with the Lions looking to make it a cricket score Sam Wilson held off 2 would be tacklers to go over the whitewash and convert 4-20 before the break with his own conversion
After the break the Lions pressed on again having tilt upon tilt before losing possesion through bad handling before big running forward Martyn Nichol went crashing over to make it 4-26 with Sam Wilson goal
Next to score was the hard working Marc Richardson to take 3 tacklers over the line with him to score 4-30 with 8mins remaining before Lane hit back to score a late consolation try 8-30 before Lions scored the final try of the game through powerhouse Aaron Thirling to crash over with Sam Wilson Kick 8-36
Best for Lions were MOM John Fowler with praise also for Jack Candlin and Lee Johnson
