11 September 2015

Almost two years to the very day Rovers condemned Hawks to relegation from the Championship while claiming the League Leaders Shield for themselves. They virtually repeated the act a week early this time. A hard fought  18-10 victory gave them pole position to claim top spot while only mathematics gives Hawks an almost impossible chance of avoiding the drop. There was very little between the teams all game, and wasn't decided until the 70th minute through a stunning 90 metre effort from Rovers winger Ben Blackmore, returning from a five match injury absence.

A dull, error strewn first period looked destined to remain scoreless until Andy Ellis scooted over from dummy half two minutes before the hooter to give Rovers a six-nil interval lead, which they extended to twelve barely four minutes after the restart. Blackmore scorched through the first line of defence from dummy half and sent Paul Sykes over as he was stopped on the line. Hawks refused to lie down, however, and clawed their way back through former Rover Danny Maun with 15 minutes remaining. He was given the opportunity by two more Featherstone old boys, with Jack Lee taking advantage of James Houston's offload. Simon Brown missed the most difficult conversion of the night leaving them eight points adrift. They came back and hammered away at the visitors' line, but their determination to keep the ball alive proved their undoing:- As Richie Barnett was closed out near the left touchline he came inside determined to offload. The ball went to ground and opposing winger Blackmore scorched through the first line of defence and stepped inside full back Jimmy Watson to outpace the chasers over 90 metres. Sykes converted for the third time and 14 points in less than ten minutes of a low scoring game was too much of an ask, even for a side fighting for survival. George Flanagan narrowed the gap with an impressive scoot to the line as the hooter sounded, but their fate was sealed.