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As usual the early season derby between East and Miners had a quite few incidents for discussion after the game.
With only seven minutes gone East were awarded a penalty forty metres out which Ryan Peters comfortably slotted between the sticks. The restart was questionable and should have resulted in a penalty to East for unsporting conduct, Leon Brennans kickoff travelling towards the dead ball and all the Miners players shouting leave it, which Stevens did, the ball however bounced short of the dead ball. At the drop out one of the east players was almost ten yards in front of the kicker and Miners were awarded a penalty kick which Dale Aldred converted to level at 2-2.
Peters added a further two penalties before the first try was scored on the half hour, Gary Middlehurst breaking through on half way and passing to Ryan Fieldhouse as the full back commited to the tackle. Peters continuing with faultless kicking adding the extra two points for a 12-2 lead. Three minutes later East stretched the Miners defence with great passing play between, Ballard, Peters, Millington and the try scorer Steve Ormanshaw. Peters cooly slotting the conversion over from the touch line.
On thirty six mins, the linesman on the club house side decidied there was an infringement in the tackle and ran onto the field waving his flag. Neither referee or spectators spotted any offence but John Taylor was sent to the sin bin.
In the thirty ninth the referee missed blatent punching by Miners number 3, Leon Brennan in two consecutive tackles but penalised him for holding down. Peters adding the two to make it 20-2 in East's favour.
Two minutes into stoppage time Brennan was sin binned for ripping the ball out in the tackle. The half ending on 44 minutes with East in front 20-2.
Three minutes after the restart Peters added another penalty to give East a 20 point lead.
Although there was a gap of six minutes between Taylor and Brennan going into the bin, both were back on the pitch four minutes into the second half. And Brennan was involved in the build up to Miners opening try in the forty-sixth minute and converted from the touch line, the time he should have been ready to return to the field of play. 22-8.
On fifty minutes Gary Greenough was tackled by Brennan on the East twenty, as Greenoughs head was down substitute Muir through a punch which floored the ball carrier, as more players got involved the same linesman who was now on the dugouts side of the pitch ran on the field, singled out Ryan Fieldhouse as the instigator and advised the referee to send him off. From the penalty O'Brien found a gap to score a try, Brennan converting. Score 22-14.
The evening fell apart for East in the sixty-eigth minute, Miners lose forward leading into a tackle with the elbow raised, Stevens retaliating and recieving a red card. Down to eleven men East were up against it, and four minutes later Miners closed the gap to four points with an unconverted try.
The home team rallied and held their opponents at bay until the referee made the worst decission of the afternoon one minute into stoppage time. East were on attack and Peters attempted a drop kick from thirty yards out which was charged down by a Miners player, the ball spinning away and behind the charger was picked up by Taylor who had been played onside by the chargedown. The ref however immediately blew his whistle, awarding Miners a penalty.
From the penalty Miners stretched the East defense, Brennan scoring by the post. to level at 22-22. As the East players walked back over the try line Taylor was sent off for applauding the referee. O'Brien being awarded the conversion although the ball appeared to glance the outside of the upright, mMiners taking the points with a controversial 22-24 win. |
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