Valiant Eagles Wheelchair lose to Rochdale
29/03/2022
Sheffield Eagles 16
Rochdale Hornets 30
Sheffield College, Sunday 27th March 2022, 2pm KO
Sheffield Eagles challenged Rochdale Hornets all the way in their Championship North Wheelchair Rugby League fixture which saw the home side score three tries and put in their best defensive effort of the season so far.
Kyran Holt was Rochdale’s star man, scoring all six of their tries and kicking three conversions in an 80 minute shift, but the Eagles worked hard to nullify many of his efforts. He struck first with just two minutes on the clock after a knock-on and again 15 minutes later after a missed tackle which caught the Eagles defenders out and unable to chase him down, completing his hat-trick in the 23rd minute combining with Scotland international Gavin Dobson to score on the wing.
The Eagles showed their steel with some robust defence throughout, and completing attacking sets in Rochdale’s half and were rewarded as Stephen Scott slipped through to score on his competitive debut to move the Eagles off the mark, with Vicky Brooks converting, to leave the Eagles with only a 10 point deficit at the break.
Two early Holt tries stretched the Hornets lead in the second half, one of which was a full length interception with the scrambling defence unable to catch up. Solid defence from both sides followed, with both sides firmly in the arm wrestle and demonstrating some gritty tackling, with Emma Pearson and Lotte Davis-Browne putting in some big hits.
Eagles were given their best chance to draw blood when Bradley Brown-Johnson was dismissed for dissent. Taking advantage of the overlap, Shaun Orton found space of Stephen Scott’s pass to score, although Vicky Brooks was wide of the mark with the kick. Despite being a player short, Holt ripped through the Eagles line to buy time for the Hornets to be restored to five players (in the Wheelchair game a dismissed player cannot return, but can be replaced after 10 minutes).
However the last word went to Will Brooks who collected David Butler’s quick right pass to score in the corner. Stephen Scott added the extras to bring the scored to 16-30.
Head Coach Greg Brown commended his players after the game: “We competed all game and every player put in an incredible effort today and really impressed,”
“There are things we have to keep working on, but we are really coming along as a squad and today we played at the intensity that is needed to play in this competition.
"Although the result is not what we wanted, I’m really proud of the performance.”
The Eagles run of four home games continues next on Saturday 2nd April vs Dundee Dragons.
Sheffield Eagles
Stephen Palin-Campbell, Vicky Brooks, Shaun Orton, Jenny Pearson, David Butler. Interchanges: Will Brooks, Lottie Davis-Browne, Jack Johnson, Emma Pearson, Stephen Scott
Tries: Stephen Scott (35), Shaun Orton (66), Will Brooks (75)
Goals: Vicky Brooks 1/2, Stephen Scott 1/1.
Rochdale Hornets
Debbie Johnson-Brown, Bradley Brown-Johnson, Gavin Dobson, Joshua Hart, Kyran Holt. Interchanges: Sophie Bamford, Bradley Brown-Johnson.
Tries: Kyran Holt (2, 15, 23, 42, 46, 69)
Goals: Kyran Holt 3/5
Dismissal – Bradley Brown-Johnson (62) - Dissent
Match Officials: Kim Abel & Grant Jackson
