MATCH REPORT: MIDLANDS HURRICANES 16 - 16 WORKINGTON TOWN - LEAGUE ONE ROUND TWO

Luis Roberts embraces Sully Medforth after the latter’s try (Credit: KDS Photographs)

Late Medforth penalty means points are shared at The Alex

Following a month away from home and our Betfred League One opening win over Goole Vikings at the Victoria Pleasure Ground two weeks ago, it was time to return to The Alexander Stadium as we hosted Cumbrian side Workington Town (who ironically were the last side we hosted in the League in 2024). The Canes had a clean-sweep against Workington in 2024 (with 16-26, 34-22 and 24-22 wins respectively), so Mark Dunning’s men knew that the visitors would be coming to Birmingham with the aim of putting a poor run of results against us to an end. To some degree, Town got their wish as neither side could be separated as the dust settled.

Whilst Mark was still able to name a strong 18-man squad, some noticeable absences were half-back pairing Callum McLelland and Jake Sweeting who were suffering from niggles picked up at the Keighley game and in training respectively. In their place were young half-backs Sullivan Medforth and Ethan Newboult, who were clearly up to the challenge of competing for a regular spot in the Canes 17. Mark was also without winger and back-up kicker Matty Chrimes who was still suffering from a hand injury, as well as long-term absences in Sam Bowring and Josh Jordan-Roberts.

Whilst the teams felt each other out in the first five minutes, it was the Canes who had the first real threat on the opposition’s line as some quick hands from left to right saw Midlands five metres from the Town line. Unfortunately, a final pass from Ross Oakes to Luis Roberts was misplaced and the ball rolled dead to earn Town a handover on their 10 metre line. A few minutes later had their first real opportunity to score as Levi Atiga made a break down the right edge and got within five metres of the Canes line before being brought down by Todd Horner. Despite needing to scramble and reform at short notice, Midlands put a persistent Town attack to the sword and kept the visitors out.

The first real shift in momentum came just before the 15-minute mark when a grubber kick from Town bounced over the dead-ball line for a 7-tackle restart but, in a cynical professional foul designed to slow the Canes momentum, Jake Carter grabbed the roll and casually rolled it away. This was spotted by a touch-judge who alerted it to the referee, who promptly sin-binned Carter. From the resulting penalty the Canes took full advantage of the extra man, with some slick passes from right to left saw the ball reach Matty Hanley who shirked his counterpart and fell over the line to open our account for the afternoon (4-0). Sullivan Medforth, taking over kicking duties from usual converters Jake Sweeting and Matty Chrimes, faced a difficult attempt from out wide and whilst the kick had the legs, it just lacked the direction as the ball drifted left of the sticks.

Matty Hanley avoids his counterpart to slide over for our first try of the afternoon (Credit: KDS Photographs)

The immediate consequence of losing a man to the sin-bin seemed to wake up Town, who almost immediately struck back. After trading sets, a high bomb from Sully Medforth had too much distance and was easily caught in Workington’s in-goal area to earn them a 7-tackle restart of their own. A strong initial set saw the visitors make considerable metres to get themselves within 20 of the Midlands line, and a short pass to Guy Graham paid dividends as he spotted a gap in the Canes line and squeezed through to slide over just left of the posts (4-4). Cole Walker-Taylor, faced with a comparatively easier kick than Sully, had no trouble adding the extras from the kicking tee (4-6).

Shortly after the visitors reached a full compliment with Carter’s return from the sin-bin, the Canes restored their lead as a strong set of their own put Sully in a position to kick a high bomb on the last that hung in the air whilst several players from either side gathered to contest the ball. To the home fans delight it was 6ft 4 Luis Roberts who beat everybody to the ball before quickly offloading to Ellis Hobson who gratefully strolled over to score (8-6). A try for young Ellis would have been seen as a collector’s item before the start of this season, but the young forward is already on his third try of the season (including our pre-season victory over Batley). Sully had no issues this time converting from just right of the posts (10-6).

Captain Jon-Luke Kirby and Sully Medforth celebrate Ellis Hobson scoring his first professional league try (Credit: Andy Shaw)

The last 10 minutes of the first half was largely even, with both sides trading sets and unable to make any meaningful breaks or territory. There was, however, time for a fantastic breakaway run by Todd Horner who cut through a gap in the Town defence before being brought down just inside the Workington half. Ryan Johnson was the first recipient of the ball thereafter, and some slick handling and footwork allowed him to bamboozle the visitors and get us within 15 metres of their line. The half-time hooter eventually sounded and both sides entered the changing rooms with the hosts holding a slender lead.

Half-time: Midlands Hurricanes 10-6 Workington Town

The second-half began with a stop-start as just two tackles in Ellis Hobson went down with a tweak to his leg that required treatment, but was eventually able to get up a continue. Only a few minutes later play was stopped once again as shortly after Town regained possession as a Workington player required treatment in back-play. These stoppages prevented either team making any real momentum in the opening stages. That said, it was the Canes who once again had the first strong attacking set of the second half as some hands from right to left found Ryan Johnson within metres of the Town line before he was wrapped up and bundled into touch by a resilient defence.

Workington did have an opportunity to open the scoring just after the 50 minute mark as a line break saw Town charge up the field before another Todd Horner defensive effort brought their momentum crashing down. Just over five minutes later, the Canes extended their lead following a bit of individual brilliance. After receiving the ball from Danny Barcoe, Sully Medforth fooled everyone (including his own teammates!) as he sold a dummy before darting through the Workington line. Quickly realising that no support would be coming in time, Sully turned things up a gear as he rounded Walker-Taylor to dive over in the right-hand corner (14-6). Sully was, however, unable to convert his own effort from out wide.

Sully Medforth crashes over despite the Town defender’s best efforts (Credit: Andy Shaw)

A couple of minutes later, Sully Medforth had another opportunity to add two points as Midlands were awarded a penalty for a high shot ten metres out and just left of the posts, but Sully’s effort clattered the near post and bounced back into play before Workington knocked-on trying to retrieve the ball. Despite being presented with another opportunity to score from ten metres out, Midlands were unable to capitalise and spilled the ball early into the set.

The Canes would be punished for those missed opportunities over the next ten minutes. With just over fifteen minutes to go Jamie Doran fooled the Midlands defence and scooted over from dummy-half to bring the visitors within an unconverted try of levelling the scores (14-10), and Jake Carter narrowed the gap to two points from in front of the sticks (14-12). As we approached the 70-minute mark, a scrambled offload five metres out from the Canes line gave Jake Carter an opportunity to spot a gap in the Midlands defence and squeezed over to rapturous applause from the travelling fans (14-16). In what would prove to be a crucial moment of the match, Carter was unable to add the extras from out wide.

Sully Medforth lines up to kick a penalty (Credit: KDS Photographs)

With less than two minutes to go, the teams approach to the final stages differed drastically; Workington were content to wind down the clock and drill the ball into touch at the end of each set, whilst the Canes scrambled to make as many metres as possible to avoid a disappointing result on home turf. The pressure was definitely on, and the one real opportunity for the home side during this period saw a strong set end with a telegraphed pass from Medforth to Horner wrapped up by an increasingly confident Town defence.

There was, however, time for some last-minute drama. With only a couple of minutes remaining and the Canes less than ten metres out, a loose pass to Ryan Johnson was inadvertently kicked forward by the young centre in a failed attempt to regather the ball. Despite this, the resulting diving scramble by Workington when trying to pick up the ball themselves resulted in a knock-on and an accidental offside, giving the home side a second penalty in front of the sticks in a kickable range. Sully Medforth knew this was his time to make amends, and the young half-back had no trouble levelling the scores (16-16).

This would prove to be pretty much the final action of the game as the full-time hooter would sound only a few tackles into the Midlands set following the restart. The mood music from both coaches was that a draw was probably a fair result, but Workington will definitely have been pleased to have left Birmingham with a point and the Canes will definitely have rued not closing the game out when two scores ahead in the second half.

Fans will need to wait another month before watching the Canes at The Alexander Stadium again, as we host Dewsbury Rams on Sunday 6 April. Between then, the Canes will travel to Cougar Park on Sunday 23 March to take on Keighley before travelling to Blaydon RFC on Sunday 30 March to take on Newcastle Thunder in the "Purple Rain Derby”.

Full-time: Midlands Hurricanes 16-16 Workington Town

Man of the Match:
Ellis Hobson (Sponsored by GLLEE UK Ltd)

Tries:
Matty Hanley, Ellis Hobson and Sully Medforth

Conversions:
Sully Medforth (1/3)

Penalties:
Sully Medforth (1/2)

Scoring sequence:
4-0, 4-4, 4-6, 8-6, 10-6, 14-6, 14-10, 14-12, 14-16 and 16-16