Rugby Union: Rochdale 21 - 19 Broughton Park

Lancashire Cup Semi Final at Moorgate Avenue

The minutes silence was observed before the game and both sides came out looking for a win, with Dale missing scrum half Travis Townsend and wing forward Ross Hartley, Jack Green and Dom Serridge took  their places. A good early break by young forward Beltus Nonleh backed up by ‘Spud’ Green saw the visitors give away a penalty in front of their posts. Up stepped Ollie Coldman to slot neatly 3-0.

Broughton Park bounced back almost immediately with a good move on the left wing, the scrum half squeezed a grubber kick through the Dale defenders for the winger to score in the corner. The conversion was missed 3-5.

A series of penalties and knock on’s saw Dale throw some good chances away in the visitors 22 and they had to defend against the big Broughton Park pack. A penalty ensued but Park chose to go for touch rather than take the points. Dale contested the line out well but the clearance kick was aimed right across the pitch and found the visitors left winger who flew up the touch line only to be caught by Mitchell Van Zyl on the 5 metre line. The ball came across to the second row who crashed over for Broughton’s 2nd try which was converted to make the score 3-12 after 30 mins.

As half time approached Dale were defending a scrum on the half way line when Isherwood was red carded for a punch and had to walk. Down to 14 men Dale were on the rack and despite good defending the extra man proved too much and the visitors scored close to the posts for an easy conversion. At half time the score was 3-19.

What was said at half time between coach Danny Collins and his players is unnown but they came out and set about Broughton Park with a vengeance, with Nonleh, Hodgkinson and Needham raiding from the back of the scrum. The whole Dale side were camped in the visitors 22. It was Coldman again linking up with the other backs who took a short pass from Green to crash over for a fine try which he converted 10-19.

Almost from the re-start Dale were back in their opponents half and after a series of offences the referee finally gave a penalty on the 22 which that man Coldman calmly slotted over in the swirling wind to make it 13-19 and game on.

The Dale team to a man played their socks off and took the game to the stunned visitors. Again on 70 mins Park gave away another penalty in the same area as before with the same result. Coldman had his radar on and stroked over the ball to make it 16-19.

Dale broke on the visitors 22 but the grubber kick was just to strong, and ran into touch. From the scrum Dale won the ball against the head but the attack was stopped by a high tackle and Coldman elected to go for touch which he found on the 10m line.

From the lineout the ball was cleanly taken by Tom Helliwell and fed out to Dom Serridge who squeezed through the big Broughton defenders to score. The conversion went just wide so the score was 21-19 with minutes left.

Broughton Park saw the game slipping away from them and launched an all out attack on the Dale line, but stout Dale defending and some sloppy play by the Park backs saw them fail to convert even after a 5 metre penalty. A line out was taken but the ball was claimed in the maul by Dale and a grateful Coldman booted the ball to touch to seal a fine come back and victory over a side from the league above them.

Coldman with 16 of the 21 points was man of the match but Beltus Nonleh and Shaun Needham were not far behind and the team came off to rapturous applause from the home crowd. 

Dale are back to league action next Saturday at Leigh and will play Blackburn on May Bank Holiday in the Lancashire Cup Final at Moorgate Avenue.