Dewsbury Rams were defeated by Featherstone Rovers at the LD Nutrition stadium last Sunday 40-28, however the Rams certainly did not make things easy for the home side.
Both sides played out an entertaining first nine minutes, and it was the home side who struck the first blow when Shaun Robinson wheeled away in celebration after diving over the whitewash to score. Ian Hardman took the first conversion attempt for Featherstone and missed it putting the score at 4-0 to the Rovers.
The Rams hit back just four minutes later when Paul Sykes squeezed through a gap in the home sides defence to score a fantastic try. Sykes was on hand to also as usual kick the extra’s which he managed to do, putting Dewsbury in front for the first time in the match.
It wasn’t long after Sykes try and conversion that Featherstone found a way through to another try on the 17th minute mark. This time it was Harry Newman who placed the ball across the white line, Hardman this time didn’t miss his conversion attempt, that made the score Featherstone 10-6 Dewsbury.
Both sides went close after that and it was the Rams who scored next when they produced the move of the match. Going from one end of the field to the other the team moved together as one, Josh Guzdek broke out of what was a defensive position and made a superb run up field to halfway through the Rams half. He offloaded the ball to Brad Delaney who carried on that good run and went deep into Featherstone territory. The ball eventually came to Aaron Brown who made a quick pass to James Glover who slid through a gap to score. Sykes converted the kick to add the extra two points and once again the Rams were back in front.
Although that was a brilliant try and it gave the Rams the lead, that lead didn’t last long as Featherstone grabbed a try just four minutes later. Ex-Ram Matty Wildie was the one to grab the try, and this time kicking duties fell to Martyn Ridyard who missed his first conversion attempt as Ian Hardman went off injured.
Featherstone strengthened their tally by scoring two quick tries before the break, the first on the 37th minute and the second on the 39th minute. The first was scored by John Davies who powered his way past the Rams defence to get his try of the day, the second was a well worked move which was finished off by Misi Taulapapa. Ridyard managed to convert one out of the two kicks to send the Rovers into halftime 24-12 up.
Dewsbury started the second period in fantastic fashion, Daniel Igbinedion wiggled his way through the Featherstone defence to score a superb try. Sykes converted the kick to put the Rams with in six points of equaling Rovers tally.
However the second half followed the same trend as the first in that once the Rams grabbed a try, Featherstone immediately hit back with one of their own. This time the home sides try scorer was Connor Farrell as he dived over the line, Ridyard converted the kick for the extra’s making the score 30-18 to Featherstone.
Dewsbury were still working hard and putting the Rovers defence under increasing pressure, that pressure paid off again on the 54th minute when James Glover scored his second try of the afternoon. Sykes’s little kick through made the try and Glover was there to finish it off. Sykes this time missed the kick meaning the score was 30-22 to the home side.
Farrell grabbed his second try of the day on the 65th minute mark to extend the home sides tally, Ridyard converted the kick to add the extra’s.
The Rams final points of the game were scored by Dale Morton who ran the full length of the field to score a brilliant solo try. Glover was on hand this time to kick the extra two points to take the score to 36-28 to Dewsbury.
Featherstone’s final points came six minutes from time when Ridyard planted the ball over the line in the corner to score his try for the afternoon, he then went on to miss his conversion attempt leaving the final score at 40-28 to Featherstone.
Next week the Rams travel to Rochdale in the penultimate Betfred Championship Shield round of games.
