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League 3 2005 MATCH REPORTS
Main Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks NL3 web pages
Home Reports: St Albans : Birmingham; Huddersfield ; Gateshead; Warrington: Hemel Stags: Bradford Dudley Hill; Bramley: Coventry; Essex
Away Reports: St Albans : Birmingham; Coventry; Huddersfield ; Gateshead; Warrington: Hemel Stags: Bradford Dudley Hill; Bramley: Essex
National League 3 Play-Off Series "Mentioned in "dispatches"
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks (34) 52 Birmingham Bulldogs (6) 18.
Hillsborough Sports Arena: 9th April 2005 : By PWilson
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks achieved a convincing win at their first
home match of the season against Birmingham Bulldogs at the Hillsborough
Sports Arena, 52 – 18. Last season’s encounters between the teams
resulted in a win a piece each time for the home side. The Hawks make
good start, moving the ball well but a couple of penalties against them
led to Birmingham’s first points, a penalty goal for Leon Gillespie. A
big mistake by Birmingham fullback John Hefford in the eighth minute
allowed the Hawks to start their scoring. He knocked on ten metres from
the Hawks tryline and some quality passing and offloading from the home
side put veteran winger Graham Batty over. Birmingham replied though a
Dom Birchall try after gaining possession from a John Birt knock on. For
Birmingham, their main downfall was falling for the dummies. Evans left
Sam Woodward and John Flatman standing with their heads in their hands
to take the score 16-6 in the 20th minute. A trio of tries for Sheffield
in the last ten minutes of the half put the game beyond doubt. They were
handling the ball well and looking full of ideas when they neared the
whitewash. The Bulldogs kept most of the early second-half possession
but just couldn’t make it count for them until Sheffield had hooker
Simon Lomas sent off for a high tackle. That seemed to give them more
room. The resulting penalty from the red card led to Birmingham’s first
try of the half, from fullback Hefford who just made it within the
confines of the corner flag. Then came another quick try from sub Dan
Ashmore. Mike Jones attempted the conversion, but this went rather
wayward. Birmingham kept testing the Hawks with interceptions and
breaks, but ultimately they were outclassed. With only approx 20 seconds
of the game left ( and in the 83rd minute) Jason Davidson was sin-binned
for talking back to the referee. Birmingham had a dreadful day with the
boot as well and each conversion attempt fell well short of the mark.
-RECORD OF THIS MATCH AND ALL STATISTICS EXPUNGED as of 24th June 2005
DUE TO BULLDOGS WITHDRAWL FROM THE NL3 LEAGUE.
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks (0) 6 St Albans Centurions (32) 44: 23/04/05 : By PWilson @ Dinnington Rugby Union Club.
St Albans Centurions took valuable points away from Sheffield
Hillsborough Hawks who had been forced to up sticks from their home
ground and move to Dinnington Rugby Union Club because of pitch
maintenance. The Centurions ran away with the game in the first half
with swift passing and speed on the ball, and although their second half
performance was not as impressive they were still the better team by
far. The Hawks’ tackling was not at a good enough standard to hold them
back. Centre Dene Miller got then southerners off the mark in the second
minute and Bredon Potts got the first of his six conversions with an
outstanding kick from the left touchline. Miller unfortunately left the
field bleeding from a cut to his mouth early in the game and went back
to St Albans via casualty. The Hawks seemed to come up with an error
every time they had possession and completed few sets of six. Hooker
Allan Wheeler scored for the visitors in the 27th minute. His teammate,
scrum half Potts, thought he was in with a break but Hawks proven
sprinters Bryn Evans and Harry Whales chased him down. The Hawks were
too slow to recover though and Wheeler broke through on the wing with
the next play. The game play was much slower after the break. A
scuffle broke out early on between Hawks loose-forward Craig Weston and
St Albans stand off Shane Rampling and both were shown a yellow card.
The Hawks only try came in the dying stages on the back of a
professional foul committed by Centurions fullback Kristian Warner too
close to the Hawks line for them to pass up. Warner, who had scored both
of his side’s second half tries, was sin binned and saw his game end
early. Craig Weston crossed for Sheffield and Bryn Evans added the
extras.
Hawks: 1. John Birt, 2. Graham Batty, 3. Tim
Russell, 4. Scott North, 5. Harry Whales, 6. Bryn Evans, 7. Pete Moore,
8. Nathan Worton, 10. Rob North, 11. Mark Slatter, 12. Sam Turnell, 13.
Craig Weston 14. Simon Anniss, 15. Benjamin Aruad, 16. Owen Fisher, 17.
Dave Beever Hawks Scorers: Tries: Weston (78); Goal: Bryn Evans (78)
Hawks Man of the Match: Rob North :Game Star:
Sheffield Centre Tim Russell for courage and conviction
throughout.
Warrington Wizards (14) 22 Sheffield
Hillsborough Hawks (10) 22@ Wilderspool : 30/04/05: By PWilson
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks soon bounced back from last weekend’s
disappointing defeat with a 22-26 win against Warrington Wizards at
former Superleague ground, Wilderspool, in National League Three.Prop
Rob North took the Hawks into the lead in the ninth minute. He fumbled
the ball from a John Birt offload but managed to keep it in his control
as he crossed the line.The Hawks stretched further in front after a
break from player-coach Jason Davidson and a dream ball in for Sion
Williams. But the Wizards had taken a 14-10 lead by half time due to
poor defending from Sheffield. Sheffield went further behind early after
the break, but with a second try from Williams and a classic from Ben
Fairfax who intercepted the ball on the halfway line and sprinted down
the centre of the field, the Hawks regained their lead once and for all.
A final penalty goal for Bryn Evans in injury time following a spear
tackle on Dan Lynch, sealed the victory. There were impressive debuts
for prop Richard Allen who has progressed through the Hillsborough ranks
from the winter Pennine League team and Dan Lynch who has joined the
Hawks from the Rotherham Giants. John Birt was solid at fullback. The
hard–fought win was the first for the Hawks on Warrington’s home turf in
National League Three.
Hawks: Birt, Hunter, Russell, Batty, Whales, Davidson, Evans, Plume,
Cromwell, R North, Williams, S North, Weston. Subs: Fairfax, Dryhurst,
Lynch, Allen : Tries: R North, Sion Williams (2), Ben Fairfax Goals:
Evans (5)
Man of the Match: Ben Fairfax
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks made hard work of their 32-23 home win against Gateshead Storm. The Hawks were playing catch up for most of the game to the delight of strugglers Gateshead who upped their previous form. Gateshead were first on the board with a penalty goal for scrum half Robert Jones in the fifth minute. But three penalties in a row against the Storm gave Sheffield the chance to get in front. Prop Dan Lynch was held up over the line but Mark Slatter, looking for an offload but realising he could stretch over the line himself, got the Hawks on the board. Gateshead caught the Hawks off guard though in the 20th minute and regained the lead they would keep for most of the match when winger Gavin Houston crossed in the corner. There was only one point in it at half time. Hawks Captain Graham Batty broke down the centre and left Steven Hunter only couple of strides to make with a well times pass to the wing. Carson’s excellent conversion took it to 16-17. Gateshead kept edging in front and retained a marginal lead until the 69th minute when they were penalised for being offside at the kick off and the Hawks were given a boost. Only for the last 10 minutes did the Hawks play to anywhere near their potential and two late tries from Fisher and stand-off Craig Weston sealed the victory. Pete Moore, on loan from the Sheffield Eagles, kicked the two simple goals. Sheffield: 1 John Birt 2 Steven Hunter 3 Ben Fairfax 4 Tim Russell 5 Harry Whales 6 Craig Weston 7 Andy Carson 8 Rob North 9 Simon Lomas 10 Dan Lynch 11 Mark Slatter 12 Sam Turnell 13 Graham Batty 14 Tony Cromwell 15 Owen Fisher 16 Pete Moore 17 Tom Gray Sheffield Tries: Slatter (11), Fisher (27, 72), Hunter (39, 67), Weston (77) Goals: Carson (2), Moore (2) Sheffield Man of the Match: Rob North
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks (6) 20 Bradford Dudley Hill Demons 19(33).14/05/05.by P.Wilson. Hillsborough Sports Arena.Referee: Craig Hill
Bradford Dudley Hill put in an excellent defensive performance at Hillsborough Sports Arena to continue their unbeaten record in National League Three. There were less than two minutes gone before Jack Bradbury scores the first try for the league leaders. He lost control of the ball over the line but the referee ruled he had touched it down first. Tony Williamson converted to get the first of his twenty-one points. Sam Broadley was penalised for holding down and Sheffield scrum half Andrew Carson’s goal got the Hawks on the board. Bradford second rower Liam Jordan was sin binned after 25 minutes for punching, but Bradford’s defence was still first rate. Despite much hard graft close to the line it took the Hawks until the last minute of the half to get their first try courtesy of Bryn Evans. The second half began badly for the home side. Tony Williams completed his hat trick second after the restart and got the conversion, but was unfortunately sidelined with a leg injury soon after. In the absence of the influential Bradford scrum half the Hawks stepped it up a gear and capitalised on more of their opportunities with three quality tries. Andrew Carson intercepted on the Bradford line and sprinted the length of the field to touchdown in the corner. Harry Whales collected Bryn Evans’s crossfield kick on the last for another by the flag and unmarked Mark Slatter crossed the line from a well timed Rob North pass. A penalty against the Hawks for offside gave Bradford their final two points in injury time.Sheffield Hawks: 1. John Birt 2. Joe Barber 3. Graham Batty 4. Dave Beever 5. Harry Whales 6. Bryn Evans 7. Andrew Carson 8. Nathan Worton 9. Simon Lomas 10. Rob North 11. Mark Slatter 12. Alby Atkinson 13. Craig Weston 14. Liam Dryhurst 15. Tom Gray 16. Richard Allen 17. Chris Plume Hawks Tries: Evans (39), Carson (60), Whales (72), Slatter (75) Goals: Carson (2).Sheffield Man of the Match: Rob North. Game Star: Simon Lomas, for solid tackling and first class workrate throughout.
ROB NORTH
Man of the Match : St Albans : Gateshead Storm : Bradford Dudley Hill : Coventry Bears
Game Star : Huddersfield Underbank
TIM RUSSELL
Game Star : St Albans Centurians
BEN FAIRFAX
Man of the Match : Warrington Wizards (away)
SIMON LOMAS
Man of the Match: Bramley Buffaloes : Huddersfield Underbank
Game Star : Bradford Dudley Hill : Essex Eels
DAVE BEEVER
Man of the Match: Essex Eels:
Game Star: Hemel Stags(home)
MARK SLATTER
Man of The Match : Hemel Stags (home)
PHIL HOUGH
Man of The Match: Warrington Wizards
HARRY WHALES
Game Star: Warrington Wizards
JOHN BIRT
Game Star: Bradford Dudley Hill (Away)
TOM GRAY
Bramley Buffaloes (Home)
SCOTT PENDLEBURY
Game Star: Bramley Buffaloes (Home)
JON NICHOLS
Man of the Match + Gamestar: Huddersfield Underbank (away)
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks coach Jason Davidson says they had their 68-4 defeat at the hands of Leeds based Bramley Buffaloes in National League Three coming. There were no positives to be taken from the weekends match. The Hawks conceded a record number of points since their entry into the league and performances in both halves were as dire as each other. The Hawks held off the opposition for five minutes but soon ran out of steam and let in their first try in the corner. In attack the Hawks errors included knock-ons, ill-timed passing and over excitement at the first sign of a chance to score. In defence missed tackles and lack of authority at the play-the-ball contributed to their downfall. It was 34-0 at the break, but things were looking up for Hillsborough after the restart. Substitute Ben Fairfax scored in the corner, but scrum half Andrew Carson failed to add the extras. The Hawks put up a decent fight for a time, but the earlier relentless defending took its toll and the fatigue set in. Prop Rob North’s game ended early in the second half due to an injury to his leg and what driving power the Hawks had was diminished. Hawks coach Jason Davidson only had praise for hooker Simon Lomas saying: ‘He did what he usually does,” “He tackled hard and with accuracy and conviction. As for the rest of the team, they were very unprofessional in the run up to this game and they should be ashamed.They came up against a team with a professional attitude and that’s what happens”. Hawks: Birt, Whales, Russell, Beaver, Batty, Evans, Carson, R North, Lomas, Worton, Slatter, Atkinson, Weston Subs: Landsberg, Gray, Lynch, Fairfax
Hillsborough Hawks (0)22 Huddersfield Underbank Rangers (16)20 : 28/05/05
Report PWilson : Referee: Bob Stephenson
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks staged a dramatic second half comeback against
Huddersfield Underbank Rangers to snatch their first victory in three weeks.
Underbank were 0-16 up at half time and edged further into the lead just after
the break. But their 20th point was the last they would score, as Sheffield
found some extra gas in the reserve tank. Centre Michael Bostock opened the
scoring for the Rangers. The Hawks gave away a penalty on their first tackle
when Dave Beaver didn’t get up quick enough to play the ball. Bostock added the
extras as well. Huddersfield had most of the possession in the first half. The
Hawks through away their chances with poor ball control and passing. Winger
Stuart Morton scored just before the break when they regained control of a loose
ball that Sheffield just looked at. Bostock’s kick sailed over. The Hawks first
try came in the 48th minute courtesy of man of the match Simon Lomas. He slipped
through the gap he was put in by Rob North’s pass.It wasn’t the easiest of kicks
for scrum half Andrew Carson, but the Hawks were desperate for all the points
they could get and Carson delivered. The penalties began to get called in the
Hawks favour and there was a buzz emerging amongst the home side. Even when
fullback John Birt was sin-binned for abusing the referee the Hawks were still
up for the challenge. Youngster Harry Whales’s try in extra time stole the
victory.HAWKS: 1. John Birt
2. Joe Barber 3. Tim Russell 4. Scott North 5. Harry Whales 6. Bryn Evans 7.
Andrew Carson 8. Nathan Worton 9. Simon Lomas 10. Rob North 11. Mark Slatter 12.
Alby Altkinson 13. Dave Beaver 14. Owen Fisher 15. Tom Gray 16. Dan Lynch 17.
Stephen Hunter Tries: Worton (47), Lomas (65), Atkinson (75),
Whales (80) Goals: Evans (3) Sin Bin: Birt (70)
Sheffield Man of the Match: Simon Lomas Game Breaker: Penalty against Huddersfield prop Neil Pollock for going
into a tackle with his knees. Game Star: Rob
North, for playing 80 solid minutes on the prop position.
Sheffield
Hillsborough Hawks (20) 52 Essex Eels (16) 20.
@ Hillsborough Sports Arena 11/06/05 :Report PWilson. Referee: Simon Barrie,
St Helens
A late hat-trick for Bryn Evans sealed Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks’ 52-20
victory over Essex Eels in National League Three in which they home side played
most of the game with a maximum of 12 men.The Hawks had a runaway start and went
20-0 up within 18 minutes. But when prop Rob North was dismissed for a spear
tackle on Essex second rower Phil Abbott, they saw their lead shatter.Young
winger Joe Barber, making his first start for the Hawks, was first to score,
crossing after just over a minute.Fullback John Birt was next. He had a fairly
leisurely 30 metre jog over the line after Craig Weston broke from a tackle to
get the ball to him.Weston chalked up his own points within seconds and Essex
were struggling to even get a hold of the ball.North’s red card penalty led to
the first try for the Eels in the 28th minute. With only 10 metres of ground to
cover, sub John Oakes drove over the line and Ben Cousens got the first of his
two conversions.
Essex’s following two tries were scored in almost identical circumstances; Hawks
penalties at the 20 metre line and a kick for ground that left the Eels just 10
metres to cover. With the Hawks down to eleven men after Darryl Jackson was sin
binned for punching, Essex levelled it up in the 51st minute.But the tide was
about to turn.Scrum half Andrew Carson took the Hawks back into the lead with a
try and conversion; Lomas and Jackson had been held back by an inch in the
tackles which led up to it.Stand-off Evans and second rower Scott North shared
five tries between them and made the difference between the two sides look
colossal. Sheffield…1. John Birt 2. Harry Whales 3.
Graham Batty 4. Bryn Evans 5. Joe Barber 6. Jon Nicholls 7. Andrew Carson 8.
Darryl Jackson 9. Tom Gray 10. Rob North 11. Dave Beever 12. Scott North 13.
Craig Weston 14. Simon Lomas 15. Steve Burns 16. Dan Lynch 17. Steven Hunter
Tries: Barber (1), Birt (5), Weston (7, 17), Carson (56), S North (60, 62),
Evans (73, 76, 80) Goals: Carson (5), Nichols (1) Sheffield Man
of the Match: Dave Beever: Game Breaker: Scott
North’s 60th minute try began the Hawks’ revolt.Game Star:
Simon Lomas, came from the bench at half time
to turn the game around for the Hawks with his leadership and no-nonsense
tackling.Sin Bins/Dismissals…Sheffield Dismissal: Rob
North, Sheffield, Spear Tackle, 18 minutes.Sin Bin: Darryl Jackson, Sheffield,
Punching, 45 minutes.Essex Dismissal: Bevan Williamson, Essex, Dissent, 76 min.
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks put on their best performance of the season to beat Hemel Stags 51-6 at Hillsborough Sports Arena. The Hawks started well with excellent movement of the ball. Scrum half Andrew Carson was first to cross for the Hawks from a Mark Slatter offload.He converted his own try with his first of six goals. Sheffield were working hard down the centre and it was paying off.Scott North was on the way to the line but passed to Craig Weston who had a free run under the posts.Young winger Harry Whales scored a real crowd pleaser,collecting a bomb over the try line and touching it down to make the whole process look easy. Hemel performed much better in the second half. Prop James Ellershaw was presented with their first chance for a try, but knocked on over the line.They had another opportunity to get on the board after a penalty against Hawks centre Dave Beever for failing to play the ball and the Hawks had to prove their defence was up to scratch. They did it convincingly. Hemel’s first points came out of nowhere in the 61st minute.Danny Stocks crossed and Barry John Swindells converted,but a steady run of tries for the Hawks kept any aspirations the visitors had of narrowing the gap firmly under wraps. Owen Fisher broke 50 metres in spectacular style for his try.
Sheffield: 1. John Birt 2. Joe Barber 3. Dave Beever 4. Scott North 5. Harry Whales 6. Bryn Evans 7. Andrew Carson 8. Rob North 9. Simon Lomas 10. Mark Slatter 11. Owen Fisher 12. Steve Burns 13. Craig Weston 14. Dan Lynch 15. Tom Gray 16. Simon Anniss 17. Steve Hunter Tries: Carson (7), Weston (21), Whales, (24), Slatter (27, 62), Beever (31, 38, 79), Fisher (75); Goals: Carson (6from9); Drop Goals: Evans ( 55) : Sheffield Man of the Match: Mark Slatter: Game Star: Dave Beever
Game Breaker: Dave Beever’s try just before half time tok the Hawks more than thirty points in front.
Coventry Bears proved to be too big for Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks to handle in their encounter at Hillsborough Sports Arena. The away team’s performance was not sparkling but the defence from the Hawks was lacklustre and the Bears wanted the two points more than their opponents. The game was flat from the start and the mood only lifted in the final quarter when the atmosphere between the teams got fraught. The Hawks started off badly, allowing the ball to bounce out of the back of the field from the kick off. They had a chance with a clever short kick through from Bryn Evans, but Joe Barber, on the receiving end of Evans’s pass, was caught on the wing and lost the ball as he fell. Coventry scrum half Scott Clendening-Fenton was the first scorer. Two Sheffield knock ons had given them the possession they needed and Hislop got the first of his five goals. The two sides swapped tries until the 54th minute when sub Gareth Baron’s hat trick try allowed his team to stretch in front and soon after Sheffield frustration began to show. Hawks hooker Simon Lomas was penalised for a high tackle and within minutes was sent off along with his sparring partner Scott Clendening-Fenton. Owen Fisher offloaded to Scott North, putting him over the line in the 76th minute but it was too late, at 14-30 down.
Sheffield: John Birt, Joe Barber, Dave Beever, Scott North, Harry Whales, Bryn Evans, Andrew Carson, Rob North, Simon Lomas, Nathan Worton, Owen Fisher, Sam Turnell, Graham Batty, Simon Anniss, Tom Gray, Dan Lynch, Benjamin Aruad.
Tries: Turnell (17), Fisher (25), S. North (75). Goals: Carson (1): Red Cards: Lomas (66): Sheffield Man of the Match: Rob North
St Albans Centurions (30)42 Sheffield
Hillsborough Hawks (0)12. 09/08/05. Report P. Wilson
A very young and inexperienced Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks side put in a feisty
second half performance but came away 42-12 losers on their trip to St Albans in
National League Three.
Three teenaged players, Dan Gray, Roger Wood and Mark Bray, were brought in for
the game from the second team to make their debuts in the league, and showed
promise for the future. They have previously played together for Sheffield Rugby
Union Club's Under-17s. The Hawks kept a clean sheet for ten minutes, until Ben
Fairfax missed a tackle on the wing and left Andy Long free to cross and score.
A torrent of penalties against the Hawks and some half hearted defending allowed
the Centurions to clock up the point in the first half. A penalty against Hawks
player coach Jason Davidson, playing at scrum half, left his side under too much
pressure to contain on their line and the opposite winger broke over. It was
30-0 by half time and following two quick tries straight after the restart it
seemed that the Hawks performance was going from bad to worse.But Hawks 17
year-old debutant Mark Bray broke away on an excellent 40 metre run and had
plenty of time to spare to take the ball behind the posts for their first try.
Bryn Evans was left with an easy conversion and a spring returned to Sheffield's
step. A second try for the Hawks came six minutes later with a break from
fullback John Birt and a well times offload to Bryn Evans, who added the extras
to his own touchdown. Coach Davidson said: "I thought we made it hard for
ourselves in the first half because we were playing up the hill, not controlling
the ball and making too many one-on-one missed tackles. "In the second half the
guys bonded together more and started playing smarter. We started having a bit
of belief in ourselves.
Neither Sheffield
Hillsborough Hawks or Warrington Wizards made any headway against each
other in the league with their 30-30 draw at Hillsborough Sports Arena.
The two sides were level on points before kick and level on points after
the final whistle. Sheffield battled hard in the first half and had the
lions share of the possession, but it was Warrington who were clocking
up points. There was plenty of action from the of with Harry Whales
having a try disallowed for Sheffield in the first minute for an earlier
forward pass and stand off Craig Weston leaving the field for good after
injuring his ankle. The Wizards were barely in the mix until the 14th
minute when Craig Harris scored on their first trip down that end. Mark
Roughneen got the fist of his five goals out of five. Veteran Hawks star
from the days in the National Conference, Phil Hough, was first to score
for the Hawks. He had pulled on a Hawks shirt for the first time in
three years after leaving to coach Barnsley side Hoyland Vikings, and he
was determined to show the South Yorkshire rivals what they had been
missing. The Wizards has inconspicuously managed to extend their lead to
8-18 by half time with tries from sub Craig Sutton and centre Jon Cole.
The second half was much better for the Hawks. Warrington’s Roughneen
knocked on their first attacking set and two quick tries from Birt and
Hough with his second, put the home side in the lead for the first time.
Then Harry Whales finally got a try that counted after two were earlier
disallowed. Graham Batty collected a high bomb but it ricocheted out of
his hands and into the hands of the young winger. But Warrington came
back from the 26-18 deficit and it was left to Andrew Carson to kick a
77th minute penalty goal to grasp the draw.
Sheffield: John Birt, Joe Barber, Scott North,
Graham Batty, Harry Whales, Craig Weston, Andrew Carson, Nathan Worton,
Bryn Evans, Rob North, Owen Fisher, Dave Beever, Phil Hough, Dan Lynch,
Steve Burns, Scott Hoyland, Alby Atkinson.
Scorers:Tries: Hough (22, 55), Birt (49), Whales (62). Goals: Carson
(7). Yellow Card: Birt (74)
Sheffield Man of the Match: Phil Hough:
Game Breaker: Andrew Carson (Sheffield)
whose tricky penalty goal in the 77th minute took the Hawks from two
points behind to level the scores. Game Star: Harry Whales who
had to touch down three time before he got his name on the try scorers’
list.
Back to the top
Sheffield Hawks move up to fifth in National League Three following their 10-17 win against Gateshead Storm in the North East. The Hawks travelled with a young side of fringe players but saw talented stand off John Nicholls return to the line up after his return from a tour of Australia with England Students in the Student World Cup. As well as young players being called into the side coach Jason Davidson made an appearance as did veteran Hawks member Gamel Kasim who had formerly been retired from the first team game. The Hawks made a good start when centre John Birt followed through on his own kick through to score in the corner. Andrew Carson missed the conversion though and Gateshead equalised thanks to two penalties against the Hawks. A Davidson break and offload set winger Harry Whales up for the Hawks’ second try under the posts and the Hawks were in front. But the home side managed to level it up again before the break, 10-10. The Hawks had a better second half despite being disadvantaged by the slope of the pitch. Around midway through the second half a Carson drop goal from 20 metres out and 10 metres from the touchline edged the Hawks into the lead again. The game was sealed with ten minutes to go by Captain John Nicholls who broke the line from a Carson pass and sprinted 40 metres to score in the corner. Carson converted. Coach Jason Davidson said: “I was very proud of the 16 players who travelled to the game. It showed tremendous character and fitness on out behalf that Gateshead did not manage to score at all in the second half.”
Bradford Dudley Hill Demons (34) 66 Sheffield
Hillsborough Hawks (0) 0 :NL3: Neil Hunt Memorial Ground: 06/08/05: Report:
P Wilson
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks took pretty much what they deserved from their
National League Three meeting with unbeaten table leader Bradford Dudley Hill
Demons – a 66-0 defeat. In a fair world the Hawks would perhaps have gone away
with at least a try to reward the odd glimmer of effort, but the lion’s share of
the performance was at best lacklustre and at worst lazy. Hawks fullback John
Birt did the work of three men in defence and put spark into the attack, but
couldn’t make much difference on his own. Sheffield went 6-0 down within a
minute due to tackles reminiscent of fly swatting. The second try concede was a
similar story with the opposition breaking the line easily and getting free run
to the whitewash. Bradford’s kicker was on form as well to toughen the blow. He
was successful with nine of his twelve kicks at goal. The day was summed up when
an Andrew Carson penalty kick for ground was taken backwards in the wind. With
the half time score at 34-0, both halves were almost equally as bad as each
other. But with the Hawks suffering no apparent serious injuries in the fixture,
they will be working hard on what went wrong for another tough clash with
Bramley this weekend.
Star Man - John Birt
It was a hard fought game in tough wet conditions when Hillsborough Hawks faced Bramley at Hillsborough Sports Arena. The scoreline flattered Bramley, but Sheffield’s passing was sloppy and was behind most of the home side’s missed opportunities. The talk was good from Bramley and team spirit was high. The Hawks started well, but a touchdown by Andrew Carson was disallowed by the referee who said the scrum half was offside when second rower Mark Slatter charged the ball down. The Hawks were defending well against pressure on the line but a high tackle from Sheffield hooker Simon Lomas gave Bramley their first points: a penalty goal from Paul Drake. Sheffield were given the chance to level in the 18th minute when Bramley stand off Scott Pendlebury was penalised for ripping but Carson’s kick sailed just wide of the posts. Another penalty goal for Bramley gave them a 0-4 lead at half time. They extended that just after the break with a try from winger Darrel Forster who just squeezed in on the wing, but Drake missed the conversion by a mile. Sheffield’s only try of the game came from returning centre Matt Mulholland who has been absent while studying. He dropped on a John Birt kick through 30 metres wide of the posts and Carson converted. Bramley’s coach was on the pitch making his feelings clear about a high tackle on his prop Chris Gardner by Simon Lomas. He got his wish and Lomas was sent off. Bramley ended the game with an eight point try awarded when Hawks prop Scott North pushed try scorer Shaun Flynn.
Team: 1. John Birt; 2. Graham Batty; 3. Gareth Simpson; 4. Bryn Evans; 5. Harry Whales; 6. Jon Nicholls; 7. Andrew Carson; 8. Chris Plume; 9. Simon Lomas; 10. Rob North; 11. Mark Slatter; 12. Tom Gray; 13. Gamel Kassim; 14. Matt Clarke; 15. Dave Hudon; 16. Matt Mulholland; 17. Joe Barber : Sheffield: Tries: Mulholland (50). Goals: Carson (1) Yellow Cards: Lomas (25), Red Cards: Lomas (55).
Game Breaker: Red Card for Hawks Hooker Simon Lomas
Sheffield Man of the Match: Tom Gray
Bramley Tries: Forster (42), Gill (63), Shaun Flynn (75): Goals: Drake (6), Yellow Card: Steven Gill (46).
Game Star: Scott Pendlebury
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks firmed up their chances of finishing fifth in National League Three with an uplifting 12-37 victory at the home of close neighbours Huddersfield Underbank Rangers. After two disappointing performances and defeats at the hands of Bradford Dudley Hill and Bramley Buffaloes, the win extended the Hawks lead in the table over Hemel Hempstead Stags to three league points. There were excellent performances all round from the Hawks. Forwards Mark Slatter and Nathan Worton stood up to some rough tackles from the Rangers and made some good ground. The passing and weaving from backs Jon Nicholls, John Birt, Matt Mulholland and Andrew Carson was outstanding. Gamel Kassim’s leadership on the field was also crucial. Huddersfield scored the first points with a penalty goal in the third minute, but unfaltering defence meant that it would be more than half an hour before they got any more. Their former coach Damon Scholes received two yellow cards during the match. The second sin binning was dealt to him when the referee said he had come back on before his ten minutes had been served on the first. Birt, a former Underbank Ranger himself, was first on the try scorers list for the Hawks. Bryn Evans and Mark Slatter joined him and Jon Nicholls clocked up three conversions. Two tries in ten minutes in the second half brought the score to 4-33 in the second half and put the result beyond doubt And a patient Harry Whales waited for the perfect gap on the wing to nip through in the corner just before the final whistle.
Team: Birt, Whales, Simpson, Evans, Batty, Nichols, Kassim, Worton, Lomas, North, Slatter, Gray, Mullholland, Carson, Glossop, Clarke, Barber. Sheffield Tries:Birt(12);Evans (17,29); Slatter(22);Batty(43,52);Whales(79): Goals: Nichols 4: DG: Evans. Sin Bin Birt: Time Wasting (65)
Huddersfield: Tries: Birchall, Scholes. Goals Franks 2. Sin bins: Susnick (22)-interference; Scholes (39) - time wasting; and (48) returning too early; Browne (75) - dissent.
Man of the Match : Jon Nichols
Essex Eels 4 Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks 58 :
10/09/05: By Penelope Wilson
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks finished their regular National League Three
campaign with a convincing 4-58 win at the home of the Essex Eels at the
weekend, and got the wheels back in motion for next weekend's 1st round play-off
against Warrington. The Hawks looked rusty after two weekends off but their
performance was plenty good enough to turn over bottom of the league Essex.
There was a break on the wing and a try for Andrew Chandler whose former sport
of choice was football and who had never played a competitive game of rugby
league before. Prop Rob North touched down twice, the second time from a
60-metre break. He will be on holiday next weekend and will miss the Hawks' Cup
Match. There was also a pair of tries for 17-year-old Dan Gray. The Hawks
let in their only try in the 26th minute when they were 0-18 up. They seemed to
switch off for a moment and the Essex hooker took advantage, spinning around the
Hawks defenders and over the line. With no subs on their bench, Essex played
with just 12 men for 15 minutes when one of their wingers went off with a head
injury. He returned to the field for the second half. But the squad was reduced
by one again for the last three minutes of the match, when they had a man sent
off for throwing the ball at the referee. The second half was very flat.
The result was beyond doubt and even if there had been a chance of it going
either way the Hawks' final league position could not have been altered in any
way. A trip to Warrington's Wilderspool ground next Saturday on the road to the
National League Three Grand Final was the only possible outcome.
Warrington Wizards 48
Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks 12
National League Three Grand Final Play-Off Round 1. Wilderspool Stadium
17/09/05. By Penelope Wilson
The 2005 National League Three season is over for Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks after they nose dived out of the play-offs in Round 1, 48-12, with a disappointing performance against Warrington Wizards at Wilderspool. They went 6-0 down after five minutes despite fullback John Birt’s hard work in defence but the Hawks came back soon after to equalise. Jon Nicholls salvaged a loose ball 2m from the try line and lunged over the whitewash. Carson kicked the conversion.
It was a pleasing performance from the Sheffield side for most of the first half but they seemed to lose their way shortly before the break. They were in front for seven minutes when winger Harry Whales jumped to collect a high kick and although he didn’t gain possession himself Carson picked the ball up on the bounce broke away, making it the fifteen metres to the line. But there was a 10 point deficit for the Hawks by half time and a poor missed tackle epidemic seemed to spread through the Sheffield team when they came back. Failure to commit to begin with, and then ineffective technique were the basis of the problem.
There were no more points for the Hawks and Warrington began to run away with it. There were two tries for the Wizards as a result of penalties and a final show stopping full length break for Warrington centre Paul Berry in the dying stages. It was the first defeat for the Hawks at the hands of Warrington this year. They had achieved a win and a draw during the regular season. Tries: Nicholls (9), Carson (18). Goals: Carson (2)
The result meant the Hawks were out of the cup competition, which
culminates with the Grand Final on October 9th.