Match Report No 1

Seaton Rangers 16 Kells 4

Seaton blew the race for the Cumberland league wide open as they beat a Kells team that had gone unbeaten all the previous season in what was a superb advertisement for amateur rugby league. Early doors there was only one team in the contest as Kells raced off the line in twos and threes and denied seaton any yardage forward and in return made easy yards going forwards led by the outstanding Ashley McDonald and with Scott Lofthouse to the fore it was therefore no surprise when they took the lead when a kick through wasnt dealt with and Lofthouse scooped up the ball to ground. The usually reliable Tony Burns missed the conversion. Seaton then had to deal with a large ammount of pressure but defended everything that was thrown at them and started to warm to the task, Marc Routledge providing the lift his team mates needed with a hit on Kells Fitzsimmons that left him needing to be helped from the field. Seaton then took the lead when a Phillips bomb was fumbled behind his own line by McDonald and then dived on by Mackay, for Moyle to goal and the teams turned round 6 4 to Seaton.
The second half of the game undoubtedly belonged to Seaton with a superb team ethic on show and super control of the game from the 9, 7 and 6 positons as sets were completed and astute kicks utilised meaning that Kells had to go 80 metres to score points and while they looked dangerous on the break they never looked like breaching the defence. Seaton added to there points tally when they ran the ball on the last tackle going through hands and Routledge cut back on the angle leaving the full back flat footed to go under the posts Moyle again converting and the coup de grace was added soon after when Humphreys chipped over regathered and fed Lee Hunter who joyfully romped over in the corner with Phillips unable to convert. A superb team effort Routledge was the official man of the match but was pushed hard by Johnsen and Bell.
Teams:
SEATON: Shaun Johnsen, Paul Rooke, Marc Routldge, Ryan Blair, Duncan Moyle, Richard George, Callum Phillips, Steve Hodgson, Craig Humphreys, Andy McGlasson, Tom Curwen, Brett Phillips, Paul Lowery Subs: James Mackay, Nathan Kirkbride, Lee Hunter, Paul Bell
KELLS: Ashley McDonald, Ben Ferguson, Barry Boyd, Scott Lofthouse, Ryan Groggins, Greg Lofrthouse, Ross Gainford, Dave Lowrey, Kevin Agnew, Paul Culneen, Shaun Flanagan, Carl Schofield, Tony Burns Subs: Carl Sice, Lewis Wilson, Dan Joyce, Sean Fitzsimons
REFEREE: Peter Wharton
MAN OF THE MATCH: Marc Routledge