DMP DURHAM SHARKS MATCH REPORT

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LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING VS DMP DURHAM SHARKS MATCH REPORT

MATCH DAY: SATURDAY 18 SEPTEMBER

LOUGHBOROUGH TAKE MAXIMUM POINTS FROM TRIP TO THE ARENA.

Loughborough Lightning notched their first win of the Premier 15s season with a 0-59 victory over DMP Durham Sharks at the Darlington Arena. Rhys Edwards’ side ran in 9 tries, including a hat trick for replacement hooker Lark Davies.

Loughborough opened the scoring inside 10 minutes when scrum half Megan Davey sniped over from close range after a driving maul. Lightning doubled their advantage shortly after when Iona Antwis powered over, before a third try from Isla Alejandro who finished well in the far corner after picking the ball up brilliantly off her toes. The bonus point try came just after the half hour mark, when more pressure from the forwards yielded a try for back row Sara Svoboda. The Sharks then enjoyed their best spell of the game as they strung together phases in the Lightning 22. Bryony Field was sent to bin after stopping George Roberts illegally after a quick tap from the Sharks scrum half, however the hosts were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage. Instead, it was the visitors who registered the final score of the half through Lark Davies on the eve of half time, leaving the scores at 0-31.

The second half began in much closer fashion, with the hosts growing into the game and holding out Loughborough until the hour mark. Their resistance was broken on 61 minutes when Detysha Harper powered over as Lightning continued their forward dominance. A couple of breaks from full back Holly Thorpe and centre Jess Dadds gave Sharks some bright moments, however Loughborough extended their lead with 2 tries in as many minutes. First Lark Davies dotted down from another driving maul, before some quick-thinking Georgina Tasker brought Loughborough their 8th try of the afternoon. Davies then crossed for her hat trick in the final stages to round off an impressive win for the visitors.

BY Tom Bulmer Photos by Andy Hall

HALF TIME:

DMP 0 LIGHTNING 31

DMP

Cockburn, Bainbridge, Herrick, Smith, Wiesheu, Cowan, Gordon, Hazell, Roberts, Lewis, Ishida, Dadds, Taylor, Evans, Thorpe REPLACEMENTS: Gardner, Hunter, Teece, Storer, Picut, Broom, Cookland, Inman

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING

Harper, Field, Jacoby, Ives Campion, Antwis, Svoboda, Kabeya, Hunter, Davey, Rowland, Alejandro, Ramsbottom, Tasker, Pyle, Baker, Davies, Bourke, Fowler, Trevarthen, Meuller, Prothero, Weaver, White Bryony Field was sent to bin after stopping George Roberts illegally after a quick tap from the Sharks scrum half, however the hosts were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage. Instead, it was the visitors who registered the final score of the half through Lark Davies on the eve of half time, leaving the scores at 0-31. The second half began in much closer fashion, with the hosts growing into the game and holding out Loughborough until the hour mark. Their resistance was broken on 61 minutes when Detysha Harper powered over as Lightning continued their forward dominance. A couple of breaks from full back Holly Thorpe and centre Jess Dadds gave Sharks

FULL TIME:

DMP 0 LIGHTNING 59

LOUGHBOROUGH

LIGHTNING TRIES: Davey (4), Antwis (13), Alejandro (31), Svoboda (36), Davies (40), Harper (54), Davies (59), Tasker (63), Davies (68) CONVERSIONS: Rowland (32, 37, 40, 55, 60, 64, 69)

ATTENDANCE: 100 REFEREE: Nia Parsonage