Stripes are earned by Simmies

H’ton Simms Cross 40 Hindpool Tigers 22 HALTON Simms Cross kept up their rich vein of form with another fine display of open rugby to get the better of Hindpool Tigers 40-22.

Simmies opened the scoring with strong running by second-rower Carl Glover who forced his way over the whitewash for a try which Owen Bebbington converted.

Good passing between David Jones and Connor Henry then resulted in Stephen McDermott scoring under the posts.

Bebbington again converted the try.

Hindpool hit back and big centre Williams crashed over wide out for a try which Charles converted to close the gap to 12-6.

Simmies, however, stretched their lead when Callum Hayes sped through a gap in the Tigers’ defence to outpace his pursuers to score a fine try and again Bebbington tacked on the extras.

To their credit, though, Hindpool hit back well and scored a pair of quick tries from Abrams and one conversion from Charles to make the half-time score 24-16.

The second half started well for Simmies and Kyle Ogburn crashed over for his first-ever try for the club.

Once again, Jones broke through the defence and put McDermott racing under the posts for his second try from which Bebbington again converted.

McDermott then completed his hat-trick with a solo effort from 40 yards out. Bebbington once more obliged with the two-pointer.

Late on, Hindpool scored a long distance try from Lloyd which Charles converted as the game ended 40-22 in Simmies’ favour.

This was a fine all-round team performance by Simmies in which David Jones, Connor Henry and Carl Glover all played their part. In the end, though, the Riverside Reclaim Timber man-of-thematch award went to hat-trick hero Stephen McDermott.