London Skolars 42 Coventry Bears 16: Josh Allison scores double in comfortable League One success
The latest news from the London Skolars (pic: Jess Aerons/Getty) - Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
League One: London Skolars 42 Coventry Bears 16
Six tries in the first half ensured London Skolars’ first League One win of the season with a 42-16 success at home to Coventry Bears and they will take on Oxford in the League One Cup next Saturday with confidence after a dominant display.
Strong running from the forwards, particularly Lamont Bryan and Eddie Mbaraga, regularly gave Skolars good field position to be able to launch attacks.
They were also helped in the first half by a strong wind and Charlie Lawrence used it well, to kick a 40-20 in the second minute of the game.
A forward pass saw them miss out with the tryline beckoning, but they scored soon afterwards as Brandon Pickersgill, on loan from Bradford Bulls, weaved through the defence before offloading to Billy Driver.
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Bryan and Mbaraga scored tries down opposite flanks, before the latter broke again and slipped slipped the ball out to Josh Allison, who raced through a gap on the right and later added his second try on the half-hour.
Ben Pointer cut inside to score on the hooter to put Skolars 30 points up at the break.
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After Jake Melling had a second touchdown of the afternoon chalked off for crossing, the Bears began to make more meaningful inroads into Skolars’ half.
It took a break down the left by Matt Reid from deep in his own half to open the visitors’ scoring, drawing the defence before offloading to Hayden Freeman.
Charlie Lawrence darted over for Skolars, but soon afterwards Brad Delaney’s run from the right was timed to perfection to take Prior’s kick from the left.
Pickersgill’s try re-established the 30-point margin and Skolars were held-up over the tryline twice. Coventry scored the final try of the day when Mikey Russell dived over in the right corner.
London Skolars: Melling, Nash, Allison, Brown, Hill, Lawrence, Pickersgill, Sykes, Driver, Bustin, Tomlinson, Mbaraga, Bryan.
Subs: Pointer, Adebiyi, Robinson, Greenhalgh
Tries: Driver (7), Bryan (12), Mbaraga (19), Allison (21,30), Pointer (40), Lawrence (53). Pickersgill (62)
Goals: Lawrence 5/8
Coventry Bears: Bass, Freeman, Meadows, Medforth, Russell, Prior, Delaney, Johnson, Gaylor, Guertjens, Reid, Barratt, Sherratt
Subs: Lord, Morrison, Davies, Gover
Tries: Freeman (50), Delaney (56), Russell (74)
Goals: Delaney 2/3
Penalty count: 8-8
Half-time: 30-0
Referee: Matt Rossleigh
Attendance: 287
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 10-0, 14-0, 18-0, 24-0, 30-0, 30-6, 36-6, 36-12, 42-12, 42-16
