FORUMS FORUMS






RLFANS.COM
Celebrating
25 years service to
the Rugby League
Community!

  

After a days long ‘will they, won’t they’ the AB Sundecks 1895 cup final was given the go ahead as two Covid depleted sides, and their fans, made their way to Wembley Stadium for the Challenge Cup curtain raiser and a chance to lift the first trophy of the season.

Featherstone came into the game on the back of twelve straight wins in the 2021 Championship season, their only loss of the season coming to Superleague opposition in Hull FC in the Challenge Cup. The experienced City Knights have had a disappointing season with just four wins in thirteen league outings and having lost their last four as well as going down by 16-12 when they faced Rovers earlier in the season.

The bookies and pundits couldn’t see past a Featherstone win, with many also fancying them to go on and secure promotion to Superleague at the end of the season.

The opening minutes were all Featherstone as York scrambled in defence to keep them at bay. The dam broke on seven minutes with Dane Chisolm busting through the City Knights line on the last tackle and grounding by the right upright in a crowd of tacklers. Craig Hall added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.

York managed an immediate response on ten when Ben Jones-Bishop rose above the Rovers defence to take a pinpoint Mikey Lewis kick to the corner. Kieron Dixon pushed his touchline kick wide of the far post, but it was a heartening passage of play, scoring on their first real foray into the Featherstone half.

Tyme Dow-Nikau went close for York on seventeen, but the ball beat the chasing player to dead in goal and a minute later a fantastic Gareth Gale tackle put Ben Jones-Bishop into touch with the try line begging.

It was Featherstone’s James Lockwood who was next to score as he took a Jake Sweeting pass to spin away from the defender and drop over the line for a four pointer. Hall was again accurate with the boot, Rovers now eight points ahead.

Marcus Stock took full advantage from a Featherstone error when he took the ball five metres from the line and stepped twice off his right foot before cutting back inside and lunging for the line to score under the uprights. Dixon added the conversion for 10-12 after twenty-eight minutes.

Josh Hardcastle was held up over the line as Rovers sought their third try on thirty-three, a small scuffle breaking out with referee Hicks reading the riot act. On the next play Featherstone moved the ball wide left with Jacob Doyle diving over by the corner flag. Hall couldn’t add the touchline conversion, Rovers 16-10 ahead.

Rovers were in again two minutes later with Davies breaking down the wing before finding Nu Brown inside him to run under the sticks for the fourth try. Hall added the conversion for 22-10, Rovers turning the screw.

A scruffy try from Chris Brinning, lunging for the line to eventually get the ball down, grabbed a lifeline for York as they got their third of the afternoon. Video replays suggested that he might have been lucky to have been give the try and when Dixon added the conversion it was 16-22.

In a sensational start to the second half the City Knights were back on level terms on forty-eight when Hall was unable to take the kick-off, knocking the ball into the hands of Jason Bass who sprinted to the line unopposed and scored under the sticks. Dixon added the conversion to tie things up at 22-22. It was a terrific encounter between two sides playing great rugby.

Hall made amends with a penalty goal on fifty to edge his side ahead again.

The quality of the game was top drawer and Doyle got his second on fifty-four as he took a long pass from Brown to score in the corner. Hall added the conversion for 30-22.

On fifty-seven Rovers celebrated like they’d got the win with James Harrison taking a Brown pass to step through the line and go ten to score. Hall added the conversion as the game drifted further away from York at 36-22.

On the hour it was turning into a procession as Craig Hall bust through a tired City Knights defence to evade Kieran Dixon’s last-ditch attempt at a tackle for a four pointer. Hall couldn’t add the extras to his own try, Featherstone now cruising at 40-22 ahead.

Mikey Lewis regained some York pride on seventy-one as he did brilliantly to spin out of two tackles and drop over the line after evading five tacklers. Dixon added the conversion to reduce the arrears to twelve with eight minutes remaining.

A Chisolm drop goal on seventy-six put the outcome beyond any doubt and sealed the trophy for the flat cappers.

York had the last laugh, or at least grin, with an intercept consolation try from Perry Whiteley who ran ninety metres to score after picking Hall's pocker, with Dixon adding the extras with just over a minute to go.

It was a sensational eighty minutes in the baking sunshine with Featherstone Rovers lifting the trophy thanks to a seven point victory over a York City Knights side who put up a massive fight as underdogs and gave the favourites more than the occasional scare. Craig Hall was deservedly named as man of the match as the flat cappers celebrated their win.

Featherstone Rovers: Hall (T, 6G), Gale, Hardcastle, Davies, Doyle (2T), Brown (T), Chisolm (T, DG), Kopczak, Sweeting, Lockwood (T), Ferres, Harrison (T), McDonnell. Subs: Spence, Cooper, Field, Summers.

York City Knights: Dixon K (5G), Jones-Bishop (T), Dow-Nikau, Bass (T), Whiteley (T), Lewis (T), Washbrook, Dixon R, Jubb, Teanby, Clarkson, Kirmond, Spears. Subs: Brinning (T), Stock (T), Cuthbertson, Scott.

Half-Time: 22-10.

Full-Time: 41-34.

Referee: Rob Hicks.

Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 6-4, 10-4, 12-4, 12-8, 12-10, 16-10, 20-10, 22-10 : HT : 22-14, 22-16, 22-20, 22-22, 24-22, 28-22, 30-22, 34-22, 36-22, 40-22, 40-26, 40-28, 41-28, 41-32, 41-34 : FT.



facebook sharing button
twitter sharing button
pinterest sharing button
email sharing button
sharethis sharing button


Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 17th Jul 2021 1:50 PM | Views : 23604 | Replies : 0 | BACK TO STORIES
RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
1m
Game - Song Titles
Boss Hog
34243
3m
BORED The Band Name Game
Boss Hog
55957
14m
The Bulls away
Listenup94
6
24m
Fevround 2
upthetrin92
82
38m
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Snaggletooth
9
38m
Huddersfield - Home
BigTime
5
59m
Challenge Cup
Captain Hook
34
Recent
The Good Friday Derby Massacre
Dave K.
115
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
39s
Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4
Jack Burton
8701
53s
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Snaggletooth
9
54s
Huddersfield - Home
BigTime
5
57s
Challenge Cup
Captain Hook
34
1m
The Wigan Way - New Podcast - Chairman Special
Jukesays
1
1m
State of the Nation
B0NES
225
1m
LOAN OUT Tom Nicholson-Watton - York Knights
YosemiteSam
25
2m
Catalan Dragons Ticket Question
Rixy
12
2m
Other Championship Clubs
Trojan Horse
97
2m
Halifax H
Maccbull_Big
32
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
The Wigan Way - New Podcast - Chairman Special
Jukesays
1
TODAY
Dons v Swinton Lions 30 June 2024
Wanderer
1
TODAY
Squad for Sheffield
AdamH
1
TODAY
London Away
Fartown58
1
TODAY
The Bulls away
Listenup94
6
TODAY
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Snaggletooth
9
TODAY
Saints a
Itchy Arsena
12
TODAY
Leon Ruan signs on loan
Jemmo
2
TODAY
Wardle
Jo Jumbuck
3
TODAY
Huddersfield - Home
BigTime
5
TODAY
Max Wood on loan to Bradford 2 weeks
rubber ducki
7
TODAY
Jake Wardle 5 Year deal
Zig
22
TODAY
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
imwakefieldt
19
TODAY
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangements
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
Rd 6 I Cas A
batleyrhino
20
TODAY
WIRE YED Prediction Competition Catalans Home
Bobby Digita
10
TODAY
Spare Tickets Friday
Azul
3
TODAY
RL Podcast
AgbriggAmble
1
TODAY
Challenge Cup
Captain Hook
34
TODAY
2024 Challenge Cup Quarter Final Draw
RLFANS News
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangeme..
466
2024 Challenge Cup Quarter Fin..
582
Easy Does It For The Dragons A..
515
Warrington Demolish London For..
635
Leigh Leopards Beat Plucky Fea..
686
Saints Triumph Over Disappoint..
660
Easy Win for the Wolves Over L..
910
Dragons Condemn Castleford To ..
892
Leigh Leopards Secure First Po..
1041
St Helens Tame The Rhinos To W..
1008
Wigan Warriors Come From Behin..
1064
Betfred Championship and Leagu..
1052
2024 Challenge Cup Sixth Round..
3826
Featherstone Win Extra Time Cu..
1176
Dragons Triumph Over Hull FC t..
1054
RLFANS Match Centre
Matches on TV
Table 'boards.stats_fixtures' doesn't exist