Coventry Bears 22 Huddersfield Underbank Rangers 20
Coventry Bears hosted unbeaten table toppers Huddersfield Underbank Rangers at the Butts Park Arena on Sunday and brought their visitors winning run to an end.
The Bears started the brighter and on 5 minutes Bears debutant winger Ash Johnson went in in the corner. 4 minutes later some good work from the Bears resulted in more pressure on the Rangers defence and they went further ahead when a cross field kick from half back Mark Sloan found Centre Stephen Coleman free on the right.
The Bears were guilty of some indiscipline and Huddersfield made them pay for their lack of composure Twice the Bears conceded penalties and twice the visitors scored and with both tries being converted, the Bears found themselves trailing on the scoreboard.
Coventry came back when a clever kick behind the defence by Bears full back Tom Tsang and winger Tanaka Chamunokara winning the foot race to touch down in the corner.
Still the Bears fell foul of the referee. Again, two penalties in swift succession against the Bears resulted in the Yorkshire outfit regaining their advantage in the run up to the half time whistle. At the break the visitors went into the changing rooms leading by 16 points to 12.
Again in the second half it was the Bears that started the brighter and Ash Johnson squeezed through on the right. On the hour a carbon copy of that try by Johnson saw him complete his hat trick. Bears Centre Stephen Coleman kicking his only conversion of the afternoon.
From the kick off a mistake by the Bears in letting the ball go dead resulted in Huddersfield hitting back. From the drop out the Rangers forwards pressed the Bears defence and another penalty for lying on ended with Hooker Adam Carroll forcing his way over the line. Fortunately for the Bears the Rangers penalty taker had been sin binned at this point and his replacement was unable to convert the extras.
That proved to be the difference between the two sides as the home fans cheered the final whistle.
Speaking after the game Bears Head Coach Alan Robinson was clearly delighted.
“That was much better and a great result for us at this time of the season, we have lain down a marker and sent a message to the other teams in this league that we are very capable of getting a result when we need it, we dug deep today and deserved the win.
Huddersfield are a good side and today we matched them. From now on our chance to make the playoffs is in our own hands. Next week we should have one or two players back from injury and we can kick on from here”
Final Score Coventry Bears 22 Huddersfield Underbank Rangers 20.
Game Breaker. Stephen Coleman’s conversion that was the difference in the final score.
Coventry Man of the Match. Brad Massey
Coventry Team
Tom Tsang, Ash Johnson, Tim Leishman, Stephen Coleman, Tanaka Chamunokara, Scott Clendenning Fenton, Mark Sloan, Mike Venn, Rob Brown, Dan Walton, Brad Massey, Chad Grant, Matt Cooper, Tom Watts, Sam Blaney, Rob Nicholls, Nick Thatcher.
Coventry Scorers.
Tries Ash Johnson (3) Stephen Coleman, Tanaka Chamunokara.
Conversion Stephen Coleman.