Wasteful Hoppers go down at home

Hoppers dreadful run of results continues continued with a sub par performance in their first home game of 2010. While showing flashes of brilliance throughout the game, the inability to convert chances in the first half cost them dearly in a game that should have been out of reach by half time.

Hoppers dominated for most of the first half, having the lion’s share of possession mainly in the Kendal half. The visitors defence was strong but several times the Hoppers backs were able to get over the gain line and make serious inroads.

Nick Smith converted a penalty 13 minutes in to give Hoppers the lead and he added a well struck drop goal on 28 to move the lead out to 6-0. Throughout the first half Hoppers threatened to run away with the game, both forwards and backs look dangerous but they were unable to find that elusive score. Jordan Pearson was dynamic as usual creating problems for Kendal both in attack and defence and Alex Zavallis-Roebuck looked dangerous every time he touched the ball, making several telling breaks and combining well with his fellow backs.

Kendal were able to draw level just before the half with a Mark Ireland penalty and a drop goal of their own from Mike Scott. Hoppers were denied a try in the final minute when Mark Rigbye was, apparently, held up in the in goal following good work down the left wing from Pearson.

If the first half didn’t go to plan then the beginning of the second half was the last thing that the home side needed. Kendal were awarded a penalty in the opening minutes and chose, as usual, to kick for touch. They then employed the driving maul to great effect and Richard Harryman was pushed over from close range.

While Hoppers enjoyed more possession and some territory they were still unable to generate points and Kendal scored their second try of the half in identical circumstances. Once again the catch and drive proved effective and this time it was hooker Allen Martindale who touched down. Ireland added the extras from the touchline and stretched the visitors lead out to 18-6.

Things went from bad to worse for Hoppers when Richard Morton, who had just come onto the field as a replacement, was shown a yellow card reducing the home side to 14 men. Kendal went straight back to the forwards, first from the line-out and then the scrum, looking for another score. After several reset scrums, for both teams, Kendal eventually moved the ball out and while Hoppers could repel the opening foray, space opened up on the blindside for Scott to cross over. Ireland was again successful with the conversion.

Morton’s return sparked Hoppers into life and they looked like staging a dramatic comeback. Richie Sands was on hand to score from a catch and drive of their own, following good work from the Hoppers pack.

Hoppers then showed a glimpse of the pre Christmas form as they drew to within a score with a wonderful set play. First Rigbye secured good line out ball on the Kendal 40m line and Hoppers wasted no time in getting the ball out to the backs. Tom Hughes once again made the telling break powering his way over the gain line and was able to set up Sean Taylor with a perfectly timed pass. Taylor came onto the ball at pace to beat the full back with ease and was able to get close to the posts to help the kick. Smith made no mistake and pulled Hoppers to within seven points.

However, Hoppers were unable to make anything happen in the final few minutes and had to settle for the losing bonus point.

Hoppers still searching for win

Hoppers were blown away in the opening quarter by a clinical Caldy who ran in 5 first half tries to secure victory. All the points came in an exhilarating first half and means Hoppers are still searching for their first league win in 2010.

Caldy scored the opening try with barely 3 minutes on the clock. After Hoppers had kicked straight to touch Caldy drove deep into the 22 and from a quick tap penalty they were able to recycle the ball well and flanker Jake Lyon touched down, with Richard Vasey adding the conversion.

From the resulting kick off Caldy again had great possession inside the Hoppers 22 after being awarded a 5m scrum. The home pack was too strong and drove over the try line providing number 8 Josiah Dickinson with a simple score, Vasey again slotted the kick to give Caldy a 14-0 lead.

Hoppers finally got some possession and were harshly penalised for a speculative forward pass but they could not get into the game with any consistency and were again punished by two quick scores. Caldy chose to go for a lineout from a penalty inside the 22 and while Hoppers dealt with the initial catch and drive well they were unable to stop lock Jack Collister from powering over from close range at the second attempt. Soon after they capitalised on a poor 22 drop out and moved quickly from left to right putting Dickinson in space and his determined run combined with some poor tackling saw him cross in the corner and secure the try bonus point. Vasey’s conversion took the score to 26-0 with only a quarter of the game played.

Hoppers were eventually able to stop the flow of points and looked promising in possession, Tom Ball’s impressive break provided the catalyst and after recycling well Tom Hughes put full back Owen McKenna into space to score.

Caldy responded on the half hour mark after Lyon’s good break, he burst down the right touchline and set up full back Ben Macpherson who evaded the would be tacklers to score, Vasey again converted.

Hoppers scored with the last act of the half to give them a glimmer of hope, Hughes again was the provider as his line break and well timed pass released Alex Zavallis-Roebuck and he shrugged off the tackles to cross and take the sides into the half 33-10.

The second half was played exclusively in Caldy’s half but somehow Hoppers were unable to score a single point. They created several clear cut chances but were thwarted by the bounce of the ball and some poor handling. On a couple of occasions they got behind the defence inside the 22 but could not execute returning home for the second week running empty handed.

James Smith’s chip over the top would have set up Zavallis-Roebuck for his second had the ball not bounced agonisingly into touch. Steffan Thomas and Tom Hughes got over the gain line several times and the back row looked eager for work and came out in the second half with rejuvenated vigour as Hoppers began to look dangerous and found a higher gear. A couple of missed passes stopped attacks in their tracks and had any of these been converted it would have made for an interesting finale, especially as Caldy were reduced to 14 men when prop Derek Salisbury received a yellow card for a multitude of fouls in a 5 minute period where he seemed to lose his head in frustration.

Hoppers travel to Hull next week to complete a trio of tricky away games before finally returning home to Lightfoot Green on the 27th February to face Kendal.

Five Star Fylde Thrash Sorry Hoppers

Hoppers miserable start to league rugby in 2010 continued with a poor performance against local rivals Fylde. While no-one can fault the player’s commitment the cohesion that produced some wonderful rugby before the extended Christmas break was not there. The match lived up to its billing by being a feisty and hard fought contest throughout but only one side showed the spark needed for victory.

Things started well for Hoppers when Alex Zavallis-Roebuck landed a second minute penalty from 40 yards after Fylde were guilty of a scrum infringement. Hoppers held the lead for ten minutes until Tom Barlow levelled the score with his second attempt at goal after hitting the post with the first.

Shortly after Hoppers should have reclaimed the lead when Mark Rigbye, who was excelled at the set piece all day, stole a Fylde line out on the Hoppers 22. Tom Ball’s high box kick was chased well by Sean Taylor and Tom Hughes who kicked ahead down to the try line and but for a bounce of the ball would have scored. Hoppers did nothing from the resulting 5m scrum and even when they charged down a clearing kick they allowed Fylde full back Mike Waywell to miraculously escape the pressure in the in goal area to boot the ball to safety.

Fylde scored their opening try just minutes later, after a good set piece move took them deep into the 22 a turn over looked to have snuffed out the danger but the clearing kick failed to find touch, due to a spectacular effort from wing Matt Gargett and when Alex Hurst saw a huge area of open space on the left flank he had too much pace for the covering defence and raced over to score. Things went from bad to worse for Hoppers as during the play wing James Williams was seriously injured and was stretched off the field.

Hoppers tried in vain to get back into the game but costly handling errors and a lack of precision cost them dearly and it was Fylde who scored again to stretch their lead before the half. From a line out on the 22 they moved the ball quickly into the midfield and first Barlow and then Jack Ward found huge holes in the defence with Ward crossing by the posts. Barlow added the conversion to give the home side a 15-3 half time lead.

The game was effectively won and lost in the opening ten minutes of the second half. Hoppers failed to collect the restart and afforded great field position and a scrum to Fylde in the opening seconds. After a couple of phases Fylde were able to create space and an overlap finished with Waywell crossing in the corner. Hoppers responded within minutes when they finally produced some quick ball from a turn over and Zavallis-Roebuck got onto the front foot and jinked his way through a disorganised defence to score by the posts, he converted his own try and Hoppers were back in the game.

However, Hoppers again made a mess of the resulting restart and gifted Fylde possession and territory. Fylde were able to recycle the ball quickly and once again put a player into a huge gap, this time prop Adam Lewis had no one around him and was able to stroll in under the posts to secure the try bonus point. An incident straight after the try resulted in a brawl that saw Jordan Pearson and Fylde’s Alex Hurst receive a yellow card.

Fylde had one more try in them, when midway through the half they reacted quickly from a turn over to put Gargett into space down the right wing to complete the rout and seal the win.