Rams run in seven tries in Friday evening sunshine at FLAIR Stadium against Rochdale.
After the long trip back from Cornwall, the Rams were back at FLAIR Stadium on Friday evening against a Rochdale Hornets side who’s form had improved since the Rams’ two victories over the team from Lancashire earlier on in the season.
In the Rams’ starting line-up there were two players making their first Rams appearance of the season, Will Maher brought in on loan from Halifax and Andy Gabriel who had been absent from the side following an eleven-month injury lay off.
It was a very good start by the Rams who were looking to make up for a disappointing performance in Penryn and they broke the Hornets defence after ten minutes when Louis Collinson steamed through to score his first of the season.
Just after the twenty-minute mark Calum Turner then made a fantastic break through the Hornets defence and fed Owen Restall who ran in to score his fourteenth of the season. Restall then looked to have scored a carbon copy of that try just two minutes later with another break from Turner but unfortunately knocked on in the process of scoring.
Paul Sykes then got his first try of the season and the third and final try of the first half after a great burst from close range, giving the Rams an eighteen-point lead at the break.
Into the second half and Andy Gabriel marked his return to the side with a trademark finish in the corner on his 150th career appearance. Brad Graham then added another with a wonderful flying leap to catch a pinpoint Sykes cross-field kick.
The scoring wasn’t complete for the day however when Bailey O’Connor managed a quickfire double with less than fifteen minutes to go. Firstly, O’Connor made a great jinking run through the Hornets defence after some great play earlier on in the set had provided good field position, then shortly after he finished off some brilliant Rams play to score just to the right of the posts. Sykes kicked well all night and with his try and seven conversions, took him to within three points of 1,000 for the Rams.
After the game Rams Head Coach Liam Finn said, “We weren’t at our usual standards last week after a week off and today we challenged ourselves to be better in the effort-based areas and I thought we were and defensively we had a great attitude.”
Our next game sees us back at FLAIR Stadium next Friday 23rd June for a mouth-watering clash against Rochdale Hornets (19:30).
Dewsbury Rams (42): Restall, Gabriel, Jordan, Greensmith, Whiteley, Sykes, Turner, Beckett, Butterworth, Maher, Garside, Graham, Collinson.
Interchanges: O’Connor, R.Dixon, Morris, Davies, Walker (18th)
Tries: Collinson (11’), Restall (24’), Sykes (31’), Gabriel (50’), Graham (62’), O’Connor (68’, 73’)
Conversions: Sykes (7/7)
Rochdale Hornets (0): Purcell, Brookes, Forber, Brewin, Nixon, Else, Hewitt, Arnold, Berry, Gannon, Boardman, Forster, Peachey.
Interchanges: Roden, Tilleke, O’Keefe, Jones, Killan (18th)
