Rams run riot in
IT was an afternoon to forget for Rochdale Hornets, as they were heavily beaten away to Dewsbury Rams on Sunday afternoon.
The defeat saw them leap-frogged by their opponents as they dropped down to ninth in the league table, with just one point now separating three teams.
Miles Greenwood, Lewis Palfrey and Chris Riley all returned to action but couldn’t help Hornets recreate their 46-0 triumph in the reverse fixture back in round one.
In fact, it came close to becoming a reverse of that score line until an improvement in the second period saw Rochdale cross for two tries.
It was a stop start affair with lots of handling errors and penalties from both sides, with the Rams simply more clinical when their chances arrived.
The loss of Gary Middlehurst to a concussion was a huge blow early in the first period, as he wasn’t allowed to return to action and the visitors were down a rotation.
It took 14 minutes for the home side to make their breakthrough, as Rob Spicer found a gap and forced his way over for a converted try on the left edge.
Seven minutes later Toby Adamson followed him over, as he spun his way over from close range before Dale Morton evaded Chris Riley to touch down out wide from the next set.
Paul Sykes converted both tries to give the home side an 18-0 lead after 23 minutes. Spicer was in for his second of the afternoon on the half hour mark as he collected a flat pass from Gareth Moore to cross the whitewash.
From the kick-off Lewis Foster went short but the ball failed to travel 10 metres, with Sykes opting to go for goal from the halfway line.
His attempt was wide but still ran dead, and from the resulting set Moore came up with another try assist, this time Macauley Hallett was the man who benefitted from his pass at the line.
With the last play of the half Rob Massam charged back inside before being halted by a number of defenders, as Hornets went into the sheds 28-0 down.
It was Massam who got the away side off the mark as Greenwood found him in space on the left edge, but Danny Yates couldn’t convert.
Their chances of a fightback were dented when the impressive Moore pounced on a kick from Sykes under the crossbar, which the creator converted.
An improvement in defence saw Hornets hold out until four minutes from time, as they were a man down after Lewis Galbraith reacted to a late shot on Lewis Hatton and was yellow carded.
The scorer was Hallett, as Moore sent him through a huge gap for his second of the contest.
Rochdale had the last say as Jordan Case charged over in the final minute, with Yates tagging on the extras, but it was merely a consolation as they now face a big week ahead of their derby with Swinton Lions.
Josh Guzdek, Dale Morton, Macauley Hallett, Lucas Walshaw, Alex Brown, Paul Sykes, Gareth Moore, Jode Sheriffe, Sam Day, Jack Teanby, Jordan Crowther, Rob Spicer, Aaron Brow Subs: Dom Speakman, Aaron Ollett, Toby Everett, Toby Adamson
Spicer (14, 30), Adamson (21), Morton (23), Hallett (35, 76), Moore (53)
Sykes 6/8
Miles Greenwood, Chris Riley, Jordan Case, Lewis Galbraith, Rob Massam, Lewis Palfrey, Danny Yates, Anthony Walker, Ben Moores, Gavin Bennion, Lee Jo Taira was one of few Hornets players who stood out, as he came up with some bone-rattling tackles to up the intensity in defence. Tom Grant 13-12 775