Rugby League: Rochdale Hornets 15 - 30 London Broncos

Rochdale Hornets emerged from the mist of the Crown Oil Arena with a huge task ahead of them, and despite their inability to pull off a shock victory they headed down the tunnel to rapturous applause.

Coach Alan Kilshaw rested Gary Middlehurst and Lee Mitchell, while Lewis Palfrey was hospital bound, with Dec Gregory and Rob Massam nursing injuries.

Taylor Welch came in, a matter of days after he had stepped off a plane from Australia following his transfer during the week. Danny Yates, Dave Allen and Richard Lepori also returned, while Harvey Livett featured on dual registration.

Freshening up the 17 seemed to have worked perfectly in the first half, as  a good defensive effort saw Hornets dig their heels in on their own line time and time again.

They showed their resolve inside the opening exchanges, repelling back-to-back sets before striking up the other end through Ben Moores, who had spotted a hole from dummy half.

Hornets churned out their sets, completing at a high rate with some no-thrills rugby before more sustained pressure from London finally broke their deadlock.

Four sets in a row led to Kieran Dixon racing over out the back amid calls for obstruction from the defence, however they were ignored, and the scores were level.

Hornets took the lead again when Livett made up for a penalty goal he had missed earlier in the half by adding two points to the scoreboard, before his Warrington Wolves teammate Dec Patton kicked a one-pointer.

That three-point advantage lasted just five minutes of the second half. Dixon bounced off Yates’ attempted tackle to give Broncos a lead they did not relinquish.

Hornets completion rate began to fall as yardage errors and costly penalties led to Broncos taking control.

Sadiq Adebiyi grabbed a quick-fire double to open a 13-point advantage for Broncos, as he found his way over from close range twice within four minutes.

Hornets were denied a chance to claw their way back into the game when a Patton kick was knocked on into the path of Deon Cross. The wide man was pulled back for offside despite the original offence from the Broncos.

When Jay Pitts broke through the middle soon after and laid on Dixon’s hat-trick try it was game over, with just 14 minutes remaining on the clock.

Hornets threw everything they had at their opponents though, and a superb ball out the back from Patton sent the impressive Dec Kay over seven minutes from time.

Dixon had the last say with the boot.

Richard Lepori had a try chalked off; denied a free-play from a London knock-on from the restart, but Hornets were awarded a scrum rather than four points.

Rochdale Hornets: Dec Kay, Richard Lepori, Taylor Welch, Earl Hurst, Deon Cross, Dec Patton, Danny Yates, Joe Taira, Ben Moores, Luke Adamson, Toby Adamson, Dave Allen, Harvey Livett. Subs: Lewis Hatton, Pat Moran, Billy Brickhill. Not used: Blake Turner.
Tries: Moores (6), Kay (73) 
Goals: Livett 3/4 
Field Goal: Patton (40)

London Broncos: Kieran Dixon, Elliott Kear, Michael Channing, Ben Hellewell, Rhys Williams, Api Pewhairangi, James Meadows, Thomas Spencer, Jarrod Sammut, Edward Battye, William Lovell, Jay Pitts, Matthew Davis. Subs: Sam Davis, Lewis Bienek, Sadiq Adebiyi, Daniel Hindmarsh.
Tries: Dixon (34, 45, 66), Adebiyi (54, 58) 
Goals: Sammut 3/4, Dixon 2/2

Referee: John McMullen

Attendance: 312