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Undisciplined Rovers Sun-k by Sunderland
Lee Saunders6 Feb 2023 - 19:28
Rovers once again fail to keep all 15 men on the field and pay the price
Indiscipline returned to Hartlepool Rovers who were easily dispatched by the visiting Sunderland, with no little help from Rovers who suffered 2 yellow and 1 red card and gave away 31 penalties in the 80 minutes.
Sunderland kicked off and attacked early moving the ball quickly and with purpose, this was rewarded with an early try. From a Rovers infringement the ball was kicked to the corner and from a good lineout drill the ball was smuggled back to prop forward HANLON who burst from the maul and scored near to the posts. The conversion was kicked by RYAN (0-7, 6mins).
The restart was taken by Sunderland and they set off again attacking through direct running in the centres, some good tackling kept them at bay but when Rovers were offside in the middle of the pitch, RYAN slotted a 40m penalty to extend the visitors lead (0-10, 8mins).
Roves finally decided to wake from their slumber and attacked Sunderland through the forward pack, they rucked to the edge of the Sunderland 22, referee Purves awarded Rovers a penalty at the ruck and M. BARNFIELD slotted the penalty (3-10, 17mins).
Unfortunately that score was as good as it got for Rovers and they were pinned back in their own half and forced to concede penalty after penalty, on 30 minutes Rovers tested the referees patience once too many times and Pinchen was shown a yellow card for playing the scrum-half at a ruck when Rovers were 5 yards out, from the resulting scrummage Sunderland shunted Rovers over their own line and BARRASS touched down for the try. The difficult conversion was missed (3-15, 31mins).
Half-Time 3-15
Rovers needed a good start to get back into the game and with Pinchen returning Rovers took the game to Sunderland, however from a midfield turnover Sunderland moved the ball, Rovers defence was stretched and on 43 minutes M.Barnfield was yellow carded for a high tackle.
Rovers managed to work away from their try-line with some determined defence, and managed to move the ball out of danger, however once again they fell foul of the referee, Dring took the ball up and half-broke the Sunderland tackle, the ball was about to be moved when the referee saw some infringement on the floor and Dring was red-carded for careless use of the boot.
With Rovers now down to 13 men, Sunderland moved the ball with purpose and won a number of quick penalties, the final one was kicked to the corner 5 yards out, from the catch and drive the Rovers defence managed to stop Sunderland but they quickly moved the ball away and RYAN scored in the corner. The conversion was wide (3-20, 50mins).
Sunderland now were attacking at every opportunity and the next try came on 60 minutes when they moved the Rovers defence to the left then switched the ball to the right, a well placed kick was taken by the Sunderland winger who popped the ball out of the tackle to CHIKUMBINKIE who had ran good support lines all day and the flanker took the ball under the posts. The conversion was kicked by RYAN (3-27, 60mins).
Sunderland once again moved the ball and kept Rovers defence on the back foot, from a scrum on 68 minutes the Sunderland backs moved the ball fast and EDMUNDSON hit a good line and scored in the left hand corner, the conversion was missed. (3-23, 68mins).
On 70 minutes a lose kick by Sunderland was fielded by Keers, who set of on a 40 metre run, for once the Sunderland tackling was found wanting and the supporting Rovers players took the ball on and deep into the Sunderland 22, Rovers finally won quick ruck ball and GUNN forced his way over from 5 yards. The conversion was kicked by M.BARNFIELD (10-32, 70mins).
Rovers attacked by could not break the Sunderland line, and once again from a penalty award Sunderland took a quick tap and go the back row took it on and from a ruck on the edge of the 22, HUTCHINSON threw a dummy and managed to find a gap around the ruck and sped away to score under the posts. The conversion was once again kicked by RYAN (10-39, 78mins).
There was still time for further salt to be rubbed into the Rovers wounds when from a long kick and chase though by Rovers, the Sunderland winger ASQUITH-FOX ran 60 metres to score in the corner. The conversion was missed and the game was brought to an end.
Rovers once again had a number of changes from the previous weeks selection and they are being beaten comfortably by teams who train together. Rovers need a couple of wins to ease their current situation and give themselves some breathing space from the teams at the bottom of the league.
Flounders, Maguire, Pinchen, Whitehead, Little, Wood, Vincent, Dring, Stephenson, Barnfield M., Keers, Gunn, Barnfield S. ©, Coulson, Hopkinson
Subs (All Used): Ross T., Church, Evans.
MOM -Flounders constant effort and always in support.
Sunderland kicked off and attacked early moving the ball quickly and with purpose, this was rewarded with an early try. From a Rovers infringement the ball was kicked to the corner and from a good lineout drill the ball was smuggled back to prop forward HANLON who burst from the maul and scored near to the posts. The conversion was kicked by RYAN (0-7, 6mins).
The restart was taken by Sunderland and they set off again attacking through direct running in the centres, some good tackling kept them at bay but when Rovers were offside in the middle of the pitch, RYAN slotted a 40m penalty to extend the visitors lead (0-10, 8mins).
Roves finally decided to wake from their slumber and attacked Sunderland through the forward pack, they rucked to the edge of the Sunderland 22, referee Purves awarded Rovers a penalty at the ruck and M. BARNFIELD slotted the penalty (3-10, 17mins).
Unfortunately that score was as good as it got for Rovers and they were pinned back in their own half and forced to concede penalty after penalty, on 30 minutes Rovers tested the referees patience once too many times and Pinchen was shown a yellow card for playing the scrum-half at a ruck when Rovers were 5 yards out, from the resulting scrummage Sunderland shunted Rovers over their own line and BARRASS touched down for the try. The difficult conversion was missed (3-15, 31mins).
Half-Time 3-15
Rovers needed a good start to get back into the game and with Pinchen returning Rovers took the game to Sunderland, however from a midfield turnover Sunderland moved the ball, Rovers defence was stretched and on 43 minutes M.Barnfield was yellow carded for a high tackle.
Rovers managed to work away from their try-line with some determined defence, and managed to move the ball out of danger, however once again they fell foul of the referee, Dring took the ball up and half-broke the Sunderland tackle, the ball was about to be moved when the referee saw some infringement on the floor and Dring was red-carded for careless use of the boot.
With Rovers now down to 13 men, Sunderland moved the ball with purpose and won a number of quick penalties, the final one was kicked to the corner 5 yards out, from the catch and drive the Rovers defence managed to stop Sunderland but they quickly moved the ball away and RYAN scored in the corner. The conversion was wide (3-20, 50mins).
Sunderland now were attacking at every opportunity and the next try came on 60 minutes when they moved the Rovers defence to the left then switched the ball to the right, a well placed kick was taken by the Sunderland winger who popped the ball out of the tackle to CHIKUMBINKIE who had ran good support lines all day and the flanker took the ball under the posts. The conversion was kicked by RYAN (3-27, 60mins).
Sunderland once again moved the ball and kept Rovers defence on the back foot, from a scrum on 68 minutes the Sunderland backs moved the ball fast and EDMUNDSON hit a good line and scored in the left hand corner, the conversion was missed. (3-23, 68mins).
On 70 minutes a lose kick by Sunderland was fielded by Keers, who set of on a 40 metre run, for once the Sunderland tackling was found wanting and the supporting Rovers players took the ball on and deep into the Sunderland 22, Rovers finally won quick ruck ball and GUNN forced his way over from 5 yards. The conversion was kicked by M.BARNFIELD (10-32, 70mins).
Rovers attacked by could not break the Sunderland line, and once again from a penalty award Sunderland took a quick tap and go the back row took it on and from a ruck on the edge of the 22, HUTCHINSON threw a dummy and managed to find a gap around the ruck and sped away to score under the posts. The conversion was once again kicked by RYAN (10-39, 78mins).
There was still time for further salt to be rubbed into the Rovers wounds when from a long kick and chase though by Rovers, the Sunderland winger ASQUITH-FOX ran 60 metres to score in the corner. The conversion was missed and the game was brought to an end.
Rovers once again had a number of changes from the previous weeks selection and they are being beaten comfortably by teams who train together. Rovers need a couple of wins to ease their current situation and give themselves some breathing space from the teams at the bottom of the league.
Flounders, Maguire, Pinchen, Whitehead, Little, Wood, Vincent, Dring, Stephenson, Barnfield M., Keers, Gunn, Barnfield S. ©, Coulson, Hopkinson
Subs (All Used): Ross T., Church, Evans.
MOM -Flounders constant effort and always in support.
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