The coach for York Acorn, which was also due to transport the A team to Hull, will now leave Warriors’ club house at 12.30 prompt.

Replies to pamcrosby@btopenworld.com

The thoughts and best wishes of players, coaches, committee and supporters are with all four Warriors and their families.

NCL Challenge Cup – Round 1

A depleted Warriors team put on a brave show against high flying premiership team West Hull and were in contention until the final minute when the visitors seized upon a dropped ball to seal their victory.

Warriors were on the defensive from the kick off but centre Chris Hartley and forward Amir Benatmane tackled well to deny West Hull. However, pacey wingman Sam Watson crossed after 15 minutes to give the visitors the lead. Some 5 minutes later Warriors thought they had levelled the score when full back Gary McClelland went over but his effort was ruled out for a forward pass.

Warriors wingers Luke Rayner and Lee West both made relieving runs as Hull maintained the pressure but it was Man of the Match second row Tom Radley who added to the Hull score line on 26 minutes as he crossed between the uprights. Scrum half Ian Kerman converted.

Just before the interval a break from home forward Liam Gale penetrated the Hull defence before his pass to recent signing Tom Burnell then found Warriors’ Man of the Match captain Caldon Bravo in space. Bravo managed to put through centre Gareth Brain to score in the corner.

HALF TIME: Hunslet Warriors 4 West Hull 10

Warriors responded well at the start of the second period. Ever improving hooker Matty Scott took a quick tap before making ground then passing to Bravo who passed along the line to Burnell whose accurate offload to Brain saw the centre cross for his brace.

This had now become a fast flowing game with both teams giving their all but with a mounting penalty count in favour of the visitors. Unable to withstand the pressure, Warriors conceded a further try in the corner from Watson. This time Kerman made no mistake as he converted from distance.

As ever, the vocal Arron Pratt rallied the Warrior troops and made a number of darting runs from acting half back. He was well supported by Karl Featherstone, Nathan Sheard and the reliable Johnny Dawson as the home team looked to get back on terms. Stand-off Richard Wheelhouse probed for openings but on 69 minutes it was McClelland who found a way through to score and convert. The game was now nicely poised with just two points separating the teams, but with time running out for the Warriors.

On 76 minutes came the main talking point of the game. Leading by example Caldon Bravo’s strength took him to within a metre of the line before he reached out to ground the ball. Despite the jubilation of the home team and supporters the referee ruled that his effort was short of the line. Warriors were now in the ascendancy and it seemed just a question of whether they would have sufficient time to overtake the visitors. Unfortunately their eagerness to make up for what they saw as an injustice led to a dropped ball which Hull’s Radley gratefully collected to race for the line and seal the victory. Kerman added the extras.

FULL TIME: Hunslet Warriors 14 West Hull 22

Stand in Coach Paul Sebine found it hard to understand the 17 – 6 penalty count, and was disappointed for his team over the controversially disallowed try from Caldon Bravo. He was however proud of their efforts which had shown that there was little to choose between the teams despite the difference in their league positions.

The second half belonged to West Hull as centre Dan Cure notched up a further two tries to reach his hat trick with second row Alex Maclin also getting on the scoresheet. Full back Josh Hart converted all three to bring the final score to 10 – 22 in favour of the visitors West Hull.

NCL Division 1

Going into this game both sides were missing key personnel through suspension, holidays and injury but this did not detract from the obvious rivalry between the teams.

Warriors got off to the better start as they recorded the first points when scrum half and Warriors man of the match Jim Baker sent a superb pass to centre Karl Featherstone who burst through a gap to cross after just 4 minutes. Full back Gary McClelland converted. For the next half hour Warriors applied pressure and were rewarded on 32 minutes when loose forward captain Caldon Bravo collected a difficult ball to put through stand-off Richard Wheelhouse whose footwork deceived the visitors’ defence as he reached out to place the ball over the line. McClelland again added the extras.

This seemed to wake Lock Lane from their slumbers and they began to threaten the home line for the first time with their Man of the Match, second row Tommy Traylor, inspring the comeback. Just 4 minutes later, with one tackle remaining, centre Tom Wood spotted a gap in the home defence to reply for the visitors. This was improved by scrum half Danny Rowse.

Warriors began to look shaky and despite the relieving efforts of prop Liam Gale and wingers Lee West and Luke Rayner, they looked more and more vulnerable. Lock Lane were growing in confidence and, as the break approached, centre James Cryer took advantage of a Rowse grubber kick to score in the corner. Rowse again converted from distance.

Half Time: Hunslet Warriors 12 Castleford Lock Lane 12

Some 2 minutes into the second period Lane were awarded a penalty in front of the posts on the final tackle for an attempt to steal the ball. Rowse put his team ahead with the kick .Props Johnny Dawson and Amir Benatmane did their best to bring the home side back into the game and Warriors almost replied within 5 minutes as Baker reached out over the line in the tackle but narrowly failed to ground the ball. They were temporarily reduced to 12 men when second-row Mark Holmes disputed this decision.

Warriors continued to press and ten minutes later regained the lead as the trickery of Wheelhouse again deceived the visitors’ defence and he put through McClelland to score beneath the uprights. He converted his own try.

Despite impressive defensive work from Warrior’s centre Chris Hartley and try saving tackles from McClelland,Lock Lane were  not to be denied as, on 61 minutes, they summoned extra effort in a move down the left wing for Ben Mawson to cross, and Rowse again successful with the conversion. Ten minutes before the end Lane extended with a final try from Adam Garlic, The ever reliable boot of Danny Rowse added the points.

Full Time: Hunslet Warriors 18 Castleford Lock Lane 26

A disappointed Warriors’ coach Paul Jackson said that they could have no complaints. His team had, for some inexplicable reason, taken their foot off the gas and the visitors worked hard for a deserved victory. It was a real blow to lose Jim Baker to a broken arm with the last tackle of the game and he will be sorely missed as we step up preparations for next week’s home cup tie against West Hull.

Man of the match for Ovenden was ex Halifax and BARLA U23 International stand-off Graham Charlesworth.

NCL Division 1

Coming into this game Warriors’ confidence was high following last week’s fine victory at Millom, and having beaten St. Anne’s earlier in the season in the Challenge Cup.

The visitors got off to a great start with two tries from Second row Mark Holmes. For the first he was put through by captain Caldon Bravo following a grubber kick from scrum half Richard Wheelhouse, full back Gary McClelland adding the extras, and the second came after a passing movement along the line with stand-off Karl Featherstone making the final pass.

The saints came back strongly but stern defence from, in particular, Bravo and centre Chris Hartley put the attackers into touch. Warriors were in full control now and added to their lead as centre Mark Cunningham spotted a gap to race 50 metres to score. This was improved by McClelland.

Hooker Jim Baker was exerting influence as he probed for opportunities and front row man Liam Gale punished the home side with a number of direct runs. On the half hour mark it was Hartley who grabbed the next try for the Warriors as he crossed unopposed.

Oldham were still trying to force their way into the game and managed to steal the ball in the tackle for centre Dave Harris to cross.

Warriors were untroubled by this setback as McClelland collected a high ball to find Man of the Match Richard Wheelhouse who, in turn, fed speedster Cunningham who left the defenders in his wake as he raced the length of the pitch to score beneath the uprights. McClelland stepped up to convert, and to complete a splendid first half performance by the Warriors.

Half Time: Oldham St. Anne’s 4 Hunslet Warriors 26

The roasting during the interval by their coach had the desired effect on the home side who scored within 3 minutes as full back Ged Roods put through Harris for his second try.

This gave the Saints increased confidence as they came more and more into the game and Warriors had to call upon the defensive qualities of forwards Johnny Dawson, Amir Benatmane and Omar Medhi to keep them at bay.

The improvement of the home team was matched by a decline in performance by the Warriors who were frustrated by regular mishandlings and failure to complete the tackle count. Saints sensed that an upset was on the cards as Harris went in for his hat trick but were let down by yet another missed conversion. Powerful forward Michael Cadd then deservedly got on the score sheet for St. Anne’s as he forced his way over in the corner to bring the home team to within 10 points.

However, in the closing minutes Warriors got back on track as Wheelhouse danced around several opponents in midfield, then sidestepped to deceive the remaining defenders, before sending out a pinpoint pass to the alert winger Luke Rayner who finished with a flourish under the posts. McClelland again converted.

Full Time: Oldham St. Anne’s 16 Hunslet Warriors 32