photo by David Williams

Celtic Crusaders are now in the driving seat in Co-operative National League Two after hammering Featherstone Rovers 32-12 at the Chris Moyles Stadium on Thursday night.

Crusaders’ win puts them just two points behind Rovers in the table but with a game in hand, meaning that if they win all six of their remaining games, they will be champions.

Rovers’ gameplan looked to be to go in and outmuscle their Welsh opponents but experienced referee Ashley Klein picked up on their tough and sometimes over the top tactics with the penalty count of 11-6 to Crusaders proving this.

Rovers had an early chance but Andy Kain’s attempt at a 40-20 didn’t quite reach the mark.

Crusaders took the lead with a Jace Van Dijk penalty on three minutes after Jon Wittle obstructed Mark Dalle Cort.

There should have been another penalty less than five minutes later but an alleged high tackle by Stuart Dickens on Tony Duggan wasn’t given, and from the fifth tackle, Van Dijk’s hopeful grubber was picked up by Ade Adebisi.

An obstruction by Darren Mapp on Tommy Haughey gave Rovers an equaliser as Dickens did well to kick the lengthy penalty.

Crusaders took the lead again on 21 minutes after Gavin Swinson was close to scoring for Featherstone. From the next play, Paul Ballard picked up the ball from the grubber kick and ran the length of the field for his 19th try of the season. Van Dijk’s conversion made it 8-2.

The lead was extended to 14-2 five minutes later after Danny Kirmond dropped the ball on his own 10 metre line, and from the resulting set Damien Quinn found a gap and ran in under the sticks. Van Dijk converted once again.

But Rovers struck back straight away as Kirmond made up for his earlier error as he ran in from dummy half to ground in the corner.

There could have been a further try before the interval as Rovers edged close to the line, but Kain’s kick on the final tackle was poor.

From kick-off in the second half, Rob Toshack was heaved into touch by five Rovers’ players giving the home side an early chance to score but a forward pass scuppered their attack.

But Rovers got another penalty back through Paul Handforth after Neale Wyatt obstructed Joe McLocklan.

Crusaders hit back straight away with their first real attack of the second half after Grant Epton scored in the corner following excellent work from Neale Wyatt and Rob Toshack.

They extended their lead five minutes later with a Van Dijk penalty kick after Dickens once again made a high tackle on Duggan.

Another Van Dijk penalty kick made it 22-8 after Jamie Field stole the ball from Wyatt as he was breaking through.

Crusaders sealed the game on 64 minutes when Epton scored his second in the corner following a move involving Van Dijk, Duggan and Toshack. Van Dijk kicked the tricky conversion.

Rovers hit back after Loz Wildbore threw a dummy and weaved through to ground but Crusaders scored straight from kick-off after Ballard went in for his second after being set up by Duggan.

Coach John Dixon said: “We’ve opened this competition up today. If Featherstone had won today they’d had been assured of the title. Featherstone is an exciting place to come and play rugby league, we played well and did a good job getting the win.”

ROVERS: Loz Wildbore, Danny Kirmond, Jon Wittle, Wayne McHugh, Ade Adebisi, Andy Kain, Paul Handforth, Gareth Handford, Gavin Swinson, Stuart Dickens, Jamie Field, Richard Blakeway, Tommy Haughey. Subs: Joe McLocklan, Ian Tonks, James Houston, Matty Dale.

Tries: Kirmond (29), Wildbore (70)
Goals: Dickens 1/2, Wildbore 0/1, Handforth 1/1

CRUSADERS: Tony Duggan, Paul Ballard, Rob Toshack, Mark Dalle Cort, Grant Epton, Damien Quinn, Jace Van Dijk, Terry Martin, Neil Budworth, Gareth Dean, Neale Wyatt, Darren Mapp, Chris Beasley. Subs: Luke Young, Jamie I’Anson, Phil Cushion, Hywel Davies.

Tries: Ballard (21, 72), Quinn (26), Epton (50, 64)
Goals: Van Dijk 6/8

Referee: Ashley Klein (London)
Half-time: 6-14
Attendance: 2,993

article by Ian Golden
26 July 2007