Bears lead at half time, but crusaders come back with a vengeance
North Wales Crusaders 33 Coventry Bears 16
‘A game of two halves’ may be amongst the worst clichés in sports reporting, but sometimes there’s no better way of describing a game.
This was true on Sunday when Coventry Bears were dominant in the first half, racking up 16 points without reply, and going into the dressing room with a twelve point lead, only to face an onslaught in the second half.
The home side started well, pushing the Bears hard in first twenty minutes, but the Bears’ defences held out, despite repeated attacks.
It was on a break away that the first score came and it was for Coventry as Reece Rance scored his fourth try in four games, sprinting down the right wing and leaving the opposition floundering.
No conversion was forthcoming but the Bears were soon on the attack again.
Harvey Whiteley cheekily scored when scooping up the ball from his colleagues feet and diving for the line from close quarters. Elliott Hall’s successful conversion propelled the Bears into a ten point lead.
He then confirmed his credentials as one of the League’s top scorers with a try of his own, which he duly converted.
The Wrexham based side then gave a glimpse of what was to follow as Alex Thomson put his side on the scoresheet with a try following an interception.
Nevertheless, the Bears had a good 4-16 lead as the hooter sounded for the interval.
The second half started much like the first with ‘Cru’ on the attack and the Bears resisting, that is until the fiftieth minute when Rob Massam’s try narrowed the gap.
Former Bears player Ben Stead then stepped forward and added his first conversion of the afternoon.
The bears now looked shaky, and straight from the kick off the hosts scored again, as Dec Gregory crossed the line, and Stead added the extras.
It was from a move initiated by Stead that another former Bears player Brad Brennan added another try.
David Ecclestone and Joe Ryan scored further tries and together with Ben stead’s kicking the score was mounting.
A drop kick on the hooter for Steve Roper sealed the game at 33-16 in favour of the home side.
Once again the Bears had defended well, taken the leadand dominated the game, but unfortunately not for the full eighty minutes.