Rams survive second half scare to progress in the Betfred Challenge Cup.
After some recent heavy snowfall, fantastic work over the weekend by the Groundsman and volunteers ensured that the pitch was ready and playable for the third round Betfred Challenge Cup clash against Rochdale Hornets at FLAIR Stadium.
The Rams started brightly and after four minutes scored with their first bit of pressure on the Rochdale line through Brad Graham who pounced on a Calum Turner grubber to score his first of the afternoon. Calum Turner then carried on his fantastic form with a wonderful solo try, dribbling the ball through the Rochdale defence and after adding the extras, gave the Rams a ten-point lead with sixteen minutes on the clock.
The Turner-Graham combination then continued to work wonders for the Rams in the next ten minutes. Graham scored his second with an almost carbon copy of the opening try as Turner’s grubber was pounced on by a gleeful Graham, who then completed a first half hat-trick four minutes later strolling through the defence after a short ball by Turner.
It was a mountain to climb for Rochdale in the second half, but the Hornets hit straight back after the break, Aiden Roden scooting over from dummy-half to bring the Hornets within fourteen points. The Rams were able to restore the twenty-point cushion almost immediately after when Sam Day managed to score with a scoot of his own from close range.
Rochdale went down to twelve men shortly after when Benjamin Kilnan was shown a yellow card for a tip tackle and then had Aiden Roden yellow carded which left the visitors down to eleven men. Despite the numerical advantage it was Rochdale who managed to score a quickfire double to bring themselves back within eight points and firmly in contention with tries from Callum Green and then Toby Brannan.
The Rams fought back though, and made sure of a place in the next round with two tries in the final fifteen minutes, Wales International Connor Davies powering over from close range before Ollie Greensmith scored his third of the season finishing off a great move.
After the game Rams Head Coach Liam Finn said, “It was a very tough game today, in the second half Rochdale really came back at us when they went down to eleven, but for us it was really good to get the win.
The first half in particular was really good and we also managed to get some minutes in for players that either haven’t played or played very little so far this season.”
Our next game sees us back in Betfred League One action against Workington Town at Derwent Park on Sunday 19th February (15:00).
Dewsbury Rams (38): Restall, Carr, Jordan, Greensmith, Frewin, O’Connor, Turner, Beckett, Butterworth, Walker, Davies, Graham, Morris.
Interchanges: Day, R.Dixon, Coventry, Wilkinson, D.Dixon (18th)
Tries: Graham (4’, 22’, 26’), Turner (16’), Day (50’), Davies (68’), Greensmith (77’)
Conversions: Turner (5/7)
Rochdale Hornets (18): Green, Tyrer, O’Keefe, Brewin, Clarke, Else, Hewitt, Braham, Berry, Killan, Ratcliffe, Straughier, Davies-Aspey.
Interchanges: Roden, Arnold, Branna, Badham, Forber (18th)
Tries: Roden (46’), Green (58’), Brannan (63’)
Conversions: Hewitt (3/3)
Yellow Cards: Kilnan (52’), Roden (56’)
