The Roosters are still looking for their first points of the season after travelling to Dewsbury to face another of the promotion favourites – Thornhill Trojans, despite a much improved defensive performance from the Salford side that, against lesser opposition, would probably have yielded 2 points. The Trojans were buoyed by a memorable victory away against premier division side Egremont Rangers the previous week, which ensured their passage into the BARLA National cup semi-finals, but their club officials and supporters walked off after this game declaring that the Roosters are the best side they have faced so far this season. Never the less, all the compliments in the world don’t post points on the board and the fact is – Thornhill are one of 5 teams at the top of the division with maximum points and Roosters are one of 5 teams in the bottom half with none.
There were some notable performances from the Roosters players, none more so than man of the match Bradley White, but this was one of those days where luck conspired against them and most things that could go wrong did. John Brookes, Ben Connor and Christian Higgins were already missing from the team that were “robbed” last time out against Dudley Hill, due to work commitments, and as the team were preparing to board the bus Paul Hallam rang to say he could not make the trip as his wife had just gone into labour! Tom Smith, who was travelling as a spectator after an operation on a broken nose bravely stepped in and Jake Lynch, Danny Trimble and Kevin Wilson proved able replacements as well. A further blow for the Roosters however came in the dressing room as one of their most potent attacking threats – winger George Kemp took ill and was unable to take part.
Despite having players playing out of position the Roosters started much brighter than their hosts and on 9 minutes they forced a goal line drop out when Martin Judge chased White’s kick to the wing and pressured full back Andrew Bates into kicking the ball dead, but the home side took the lead against the run of play on 15 minutes. They broke down the middle of the park on 13 minutes but Paul Morgan produced a try saving tackle, only to receive a yellow card for holding onto his opponent too long and preventing a quick play the ball. Two minutes later Jake Wilson put Trojans’ man of the match Anthony Harris through the gap left by Morgan’s departure for a stroll in try that Bates converted (0-6).
Roosters levelled the scores half way through the half, even with a man short, when White took the ball off Liam Green in a one on one tackle and raced 20 metres between the sticks for a try that he also converted (6-6), although this only served to be a “wake up call” for the home side and they took control of the game.
Morgan was only back on the field a minute when he was called on to kick the ball to safety following Scott Dyson’s astute kick to the in-goal, conceding a drop out. Roosters survived that and also had a stroke of luck on 33 minutes when Wilson had a try ruled out for a forward pass from Green, but they finally buckled under pressure and conceded 2 tries, the first converted by Bates, in the last 5 minutes of the half.
The first actually came from a Roosters’ attacking kick on the last tackle. Steve Barry sent the ball high but it was caught by Bates who sent a long pass to Mindaucas Benovas and the winger showed “lightening” pace to beat Will Rigby and Morgan for a length of field try (6-12). Roosters could have no complaints about the fine individual effort from Benovas but they were seething about an incident a minute from time that led to Dyson putting him in at the corner for a second try (6-16). It came immediately after a penalty that was given while Roosters were driving the ball away from their try line. Mike Foster went down under a heavy challenge and reacted angrily, although not violently, and the whole crowd was left mystified when he was sin binned on the intervention of a young touch judge.
Thornhill started the second half as they had finished the first – “on the front foot”, and on 50 minutes they extended the lead with Green breaking through the defensive line to score a try that Bates improved (6-22) and Roosters lost full back Paul Morgan to injury as he attempted to prevent that score. Rigby replaced Morgan at full back and he conceded a drop out on 56 minutes when he defused Dyson’s clever kick but was tackled in goal by the chasers.
On 62 minutes Josh Clough intercepted for Thornhill on the half way line only to be tackled by Lynch before he had chance to pick up pace and race to the line, but it was the Roosters who scored next with a try on 69 minutes. Marc Gilligan was pulled down on the try line and Barry fed White who sent a high kick to the corner that saw Andrew Muscat touchdown. White converted brilliantly from the touchline (12-22) and that should have set up a nervous last 10 minutes for the Dewsbury side until, on the very next attack, they were awarded a penalty right in front of the posts that Bates gleefully accepted (12-24).
Roosters finished strongly but were unable to breach the home defence again and the only other attempt to trouble the scoreboard came in the last minute when Dyson attempted a drop goal for Trojans that was charged down by Marc Jones.
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