Celtic Crusaders win first home game

CELTIC CRUSADERS 78 LONDON SKOLARS 14
By Ian Golden at Brewery Field

Celtic Crusaders warmed up for their big Powergen Challenge Cup tie against Lokomotiv Moscow next Sunday by beating National League Two counterparts London Skolars to qualify for the knockout stages of the Northern Rail Cup.

In front of a fabulous 1,421 crowd, the Crusaders dominated the game from start to finish and created an early chance but Luke Young?s grubber kick was picked up by Corey Simms.

However the Crusaders took the lead on seven minutes when Tony Duggan broke from inside his own half and created a gap for Young who ran the ball in under the sticks. Jace Van Dijk converted.

Skolars? Gareth Honor was sinbinned for dissent following the try and Crusaders took advantage of the extra man straight away, Paul Morgan running in a second try on 10 minutes. Van Dijk converted once again.

Crusaders added a third on 14 minutes after Damien Quinn broke through the defence and set up Young to score.

Crusaders kept up the pace. Van Dijk at dummy half on the fifth tackle, passed to Duggan but his grubber kick went too far for Ryan Barton.

Skolars got a try back on 21 minutes after Chris Shears forced his way over the line following a play-the-ball five metres out. Ben Joyce converted.

However Crusaders made the score 20-6 on 25 minutes after Carl de Chenu scored in the corner. Tony Duggan ran 40 metres to score under the posts two minutes later, Van Dijk converting to put the score on 26-6.

Chris Shears scored another try back for Skolars on 32 minutes, running 40 metres and dodging through the defence to ground.

But the Crusaders went into half-time 44-10 up after three quick tries. Welsh international Karl Hocking forced his way over on 32 minutes while Duggan created a try for Van Dijk on 37. Finally, Michael Ryan ran over right on the half-time hooter. Van Dijk converted all three.

From kick off in the second half, Bobby Wallis knocked on, creating an early Crusaders chance, and the Welshmen didn?t disappoint as Hocking ran over for his second. Van Dijk converted but the stand-off played just seven more minutes of the games after going off the field holding his ribs following a clash in the tackle.

Skolars attempted to fight back but were kept from scoring by the fine performance of the Crusaders? defensive line especially David Simm, Phil Cushion and Dean Fitzgerald.

Crusaders scored again on 51 minutes. Young made an excellent kick on the fifth tackle reaching Morgan on the left wing. Running past one defender, he set up fellow former Bridgend Blue Bull Dean Fitzgerald to ground. Young converted.

Frank Reid got a try back for Skolars on 52 minutes and almost got another one five minutes later following a mix-up in the Crusaders defence. Mario Du Toit dived for the loose ball but didn?t have the downward pressure to ground.

Crusaders made them pay for that mistake, as a well-worked move three minutes later ended with Morgan weaving through the defence to get his second try of the day. Young converted to take the score to 62-14.

Duggan ran through the defence five minutes later for his second while Quinn slipped through the tackle to place the ball under the posts for the 13th try of the day. Young converted both to put the score on 74-14.

After a lengthy break due to a serious injury to Skolars? Rubert Jonker, Crusaders broke through for another try with Morgan getting a hat-trick of his own. Young?s conversion hit the post to make the final score 78-14.

Crusaders? coach John Dixon was over the moon with his team?s performance and is now looking forward to the Lokomotiv Moscow tie next week. ?This was a great warm up for the Russian game,? said Dixon. ?I was exceptionally pleased all aspects of our ball control and the performance in our defensive line. Our aim today was to put on a display that would bring the fans back again next week against Moscow and I think we?ve done that. We?re excited to have the Russians here next week. I don?t know anything about them apart from how well they did in Russia last year so I know they?ll give us a good game.?


CRUSADERS
1. Tony Duggan
2. Carl De Chenu
3. Geraint Davies
4. Damien Quinn
5. Paul Morgan
21. Luke Young
7. Jace Van Dijk
8. Ryan Barton
9. Michael Ryan
10. Phil Cushion
11. David Simm
12. Matt Jobson
13. Dean Fitzgerald

Subs
14. Carle Ellis
15. Dean Scully
16. Karl Hocking
19. Lenny Woodard

Tries: Young (7, 14), Duggan (27, 65), Morgan (10, 60, 76), de Chenu (25), Hocking (32, 41), Van Dijk (37), Ryan (40), Fitzgerald (51), Quinn (70)

Goals: Van Dijk 7/9, Young 4/5

SKOLARS
1. Dean Martin
2. Mario Du Toit
3. Mike Castle
4. Ash Tozer
5. Corey Simms
6. Frank Reid
7. Nathan Meischke
8. Rubert Jonker
9. Gareth Honor
10. Bobby Wallis
11. Dave Ellison
12. Matt Pitman
13. Ben Joyce

Subs
14. Chris Shears
15. Josh Garden
16. Richard Coatelan
17. Dave Roberson

Tries: Shears (21, 32), Reid (52)
Goals: Joyce 1/3
Sinbinned: Honor (7) ? dissent

Referee: Dave Merrick (Castleford)
Half-time: 44-10
Attendance: 1,421

Men of the Match: Crusaders: Tony Duggan. Skolars: Chris Shears

Scoring Sequence: 6-0, 12-0, 16-0, 16-6, 20-6, 26-6, 26-10, 32-10, 38-10, 44-10, 50-10, 56-10, 56-14, 62-14, 68-14

Gamestar: Tony Duggan marshalled the match from full-back and is a deserved man of the match.

Gamebreaker: Crusaders looked the better team from start to finish but three tries in the last ten minutes of the first half made sure that Skolars from start to finish.

Weather: Dry ? partly cloudy
Match Rating: 3/5