photo by Ian Lovell

The championship countdown carries on for Celtic Crusaders. Their 64-26 win over Gateshead Thunder lifts them to the top of Co-operative National League Two, was their tenth successive victory and sets them up nicely for a showdown at Oldham Roughyeds’ Boundary Park on Thursday night.

If Crusaders win that match, then do the double over Thunder on September 9th, they will go up to National League One as champions.

Crusaders built up a strong first half lead and didn’t really look like losing. But it was the sending off of Gateshead’s Dylan Nash that seriously swung the swung the game Crusaders way as the north-east side had begun to cause trouble at that point of the evening.

Crusaders took the lead on eight minutes when Tony Duggan set up Rob Toshack to ground in the corner.

Four minutes later, the Welsh side got their second. Neil Budworth started the move which led to Damien Quinn playing a lovely one-two with Josh Hannay to go over. Van Dijk’s kick made it 10-0.

It was 16-0 in as many minutes when following a penalty given for ripping, Darren Mapp placed the ball under the sticks. Van Dijk added the extras.

Tony Duggan ran through from kick-off to score his 36th try of the season with Van Dijk converting and Thunder looked already effectively dead and buried with only a quarter of the game gone.

But they got a try back on 23 minutes when Great Britain Combined Services international Scott Partis latched onto a loose ball in the goal area. Michael Knowles converted.

Thunder kept attacking and rewarded with another try when Neil Thorman was given too much space to run over and score.

And after the hooter for half-time went, Josh Hannay went over in the corner to bring the half-time score onto 26-10 to the Crusaders.

Thunder struck first blood in the second half when winger Robin Peers ran half the length of the field to score but they suffered a serious blow minutes later when Dylan Nash was sent off for a spear tackle on Tony Duggan.

Crusaders took advantage of the extra man straight away when Mark Dalle Cort finished off a move by scoring in the corner while Anthony Blackwood set up Neil Budworth for a try under the sticks on 51 minutes. Van Dijk converted both.

Straight from kick-off, Toshack scored his second with Quinn converting before the loose forward set up Blackwood for a further score five minutes later and adding the extras again.

Thunder kept pressing and were rewarded with tries through Graham Stephenson and Shane Wooden, the latter

a fine individual effort. Knowles duly converted both.

But further tries from Luke Young, Anthony Blackwood and Neil Budworth, the former converted by Josh Hannay, gave the Crusaders a convincing win.

Crusaders’ Operations Manager Gerald McCarthy said: “I’m delighted at the win and I thought Gateshead gave us a really good game today. We’re all looking forward to the last two games now. Oldham away on Thursday is massive and we hope to see as many Crusaders fans as possible there supporting us.”

CELTIC CRUSADERS
1. Tony Duggan
2. Paul Ballard
3. Rob Toshack
4. Mark Dalle Cort
5. Anthony Blackwood
6. Josh Hannay
7. Jace Van Dijk
8. Chris Beasley
9. Neil Budworth
10. Gareth Dean
11. Neale Wyatt
12. Darren Mapp
13. Damien Quinn

Subs:
14. Luke Young
15. Aurélien Cologni
16. Jamie I’Anson
17. Hywel Davies

Tries: Toshack (8, 54), Quinn (12), Mapp (16), Duggan (19), Hannay (40), Dalle Cort (46), Budworth (51, 77), Blackwood (57, 75), Young (72)
Goals: Van Dijk 5/7, Quinn 2/2, Hannay 1/3

GATESHEAD THUNDER
1. Neil Thorman
2. Robin Peers
3. Graham Stephenson
4. Dylan Nash
5. Danny Wilson
6. Tim Martin
7. Scott Partis
8. Jason Payne
9. Dan Smith
10. Tony Doherty
11. Shane Wooden
12. Michael Knowles
13. Pat Williamson

Subs:
14. Ryan Clarke
15. Matty Barron
16. Chris Parker
17. Jonathan Scott

Tries: Partis (23), Thorman (33), Peers (42), Stephenson (60), Wooden (63)
Goals: Knowles 3/5

Sent-off: Nash (45, spear tackle)

Referee: Jamie Leahy (Dewsbury)
Attendance: 827
Half-time: 26-10
Penalties: 5-4

Men of the Match: Crusaders – Wyatt, Thunder - Payne

Scoring Sequence: 4-0, 10-0, 16-0, 22-0, 22-6, 22-10, 26-10, 26-14, 32-14, 38-14, 44-14, 50-14, 50-20, 50-26, 56-26

Gamestar: For his work-rate throughout the game, Neale Wyatt.

Gamebreaker: Dylan Nash’s sending off on 45 minutes. Thunder were threatening up until that point but had no chance following this incident.

article by Ian Golden
26 August 2007