Rovers find Chorley no push
over!
TEAM
1–NATHAN GRAHAM
2 JAMIE STOKES
3 SIMON JACKSON
4.RICHARD NEWLOVE (2T)(Thaler 68)
5 MATT BRAMALD
6 ANDY BASTOW (T)
7 JAMIE ROONEY (T,5G&2DG)
8 STUART DICKENS
9 ANDY HEPTINSTAL
10 IAN TONKS (Williamson 51)
11 JIM CARLTON
12 NEIL LOWE (Bibb 60)
13 GAVIN SWINSON (Dooler 25)
14 STEVE DOOLER
15 SAM BIBB
16 RICHARD THALER
17 LEE WILLIAMSON
ATTENDANCE - 610
WEATHER CONDITIONS – COLD, OVERCAST
HALF TIME – CHORLEY 2 ROVERS 21
FULL TIME – CHORLEY 18ROVERS 28
REFEREE STEVE NICHOLSON
Chorley
Lynx 16 Featherstone Rovers 28
Jamie Rooney, whose transfer to Widnes fell
through mid-week, inspired Rovers to
victory. However, coach Ian Fairhurst
admitted that Rovers were given a much tougher game than many would have
expected. Indeed this was a more tricky fixture than many would have
expected.
Rovers
comfortably gained a 21-2 advantage at the break but were second best for much
of the remainder of the game as Chorley Lynx picked up the pace to stage a
gritty fight back.
Ian
Fairhurst said after the game "I was pleased with the first-half
performance but we were well beaten in the second half. I knew they would be stronger than last
season because of their close season signings from teams such as Leigh and
Widnes, so Chorley's performance didn't surprise me. They will give a few teams
a hard game on their own ground. They
also have several Warrington wolves players on loan for a short time."
Jamie
Rooney was arguably the main difference between the sides although Ian
Fairhurst handed the captaincy to Ian Tonks after Jamie’s disappointment at
failing to move into Super League with Widnes.
Jamie
Rooney's individual try after just 10 minutes set Rovers on the way to victory
and the talented playmaker went on to kick five goals as well as score two
drop-goals and had a hand in tries for centre Richard Newlove on 16 minutes,
and fellow half-back Andy Bastow on 20 minutes. Richard Newlove was a welcome addition to the Rovers
threequarteer line. Tough tackler and
good in attack. The difference in the
back-line attack was seen when he went off in the second half.
Richard Newlove scored Rovers only try of the second half in the 54th
minute, before being helped off with a shoulder injury.
Chorley,
who were well boosted by three loan
recruits from Warrington, including ex-Huddersfield player Dale Cardoza,
touched down three times themselves to give their loyal bunch of supporters
some optimism for the future.
Rovers
man of the match was Jamie Rooney.