Depleted Rams battle past Eagles in final game of the season at FLAIR Stadium.
After last week’s defeat at the Millennium Stadium, the Rams returned to FLAIR Stadium with only sixteen available players for their final game of the Betfred Championship season against Sheffield Eagles, looking for just their second win of 2024.
Dewsbury started well and had the early pressure but it was only a fantastic last ditch tackle by Ollie Greensmith that prevented James Glover scoring a breakaway try for the visitors after three minutes.
It was the Rams who got the first points of the game through Keenen Tomlinson who finished a lovely move in the corner to score his third in as many games.
Tomlinson then played a key part for the second try just six minutes later, Reiss Butterworth made the break through the middle before finding Tomlinson out wide who played a neat grubber back for Butterworth to score his second try of the year.
Just before the half hour mark, both sides went down to twelve men when Bailey O’Connor was sent to the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle for Dewsbury and Joel Farrell was also carded for Sheffield for his part in the melee that followed.
Three minutes later, Sheffield got their first points on the board when Ben Jones-Bishop scored in the corner. However, it was the Rams who went into the break with a two score lead when Ollie Greensmith scored with a powerful run from close range.
Just moments into the second half and Dewsbury were reduced back down to twelve when Jamie Field was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle.
However, the Eagles couldn’t put the extra man to use and it was Ollie Greensmith who added the next points of the game with his second of the afternoon after a great break from Reiss Butterworth.
With a little over fifteen minutes left, Matty Marsh looked to bring the Eagles back in it with their second try of the day, but it was the departing Lewis Carr who got the final Rams try of the afternoon with a trademark finish to send the Rams fans home happy after a disappointing season.
After the game, Head Coach Paul March said, “That was outstanding today, it’s been in the locker for a few games but getting over the line has been very tough.
We talked in the dressing room before the game about how it was the last game together with this group of players and how we wanted to go out on a high and we’ve certainly done that today.”
Dewsbury Rams (28): O’Connor, Carr, M.Walker, Greensmith, Tomlinson, Turner, Butterworth, Morris, Mearns, Field, Ferguson, Silk, Collinson.
Interchanges: Russell, Briggs, Summers.
Tries: Tomlinson (12′), Butterworth (18′), Greensmith (40′, 54′), Carr (72′)
Conversions: Turner (4/5)
Yellow Card: O’Connor (29′), Field (50′)
Sheffield Eagles (8): Marsh, Jones-Bishop, Welham, Glover, Dawson-Jones, Aston, Thackeray, Battye, Wood, Dickinson, Murphy, Farrell, Hodgson.
Interchanges: Hansen, Roberts, Liu, Clark, Halafihi (18th).
Tries: Jones-Bishop (32′), Marsh (64′)
Conversions: Aston (0/2)
Yellow Card: Farrell (29′)
The Rams Man of the Match as selected by Fleetmaster was Reiss Butterworth but could have arguably gone to any of the sixteen Rams players today.
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