.jpg?v=638786753279904531 "Vikings v Ravens County No.3 Cup (photo courtesy of Chris Welch)")
Vikings 55 Ravens 19
The Vikings progressed to the semi-final of the County No. 3 Cup after a hard fought game against the Ravens.
Tyler Boak got the Vikings off to a great start, sniping through from full back to score to the right of the posts at the Memorial end.
The Ravens countered quickly when number 13 Joe Kiely finished off a good attack. Stand off Scott Kirkman slotted home the conversion to put his side 7 5 up with only five minutes gone.
The game settled down into a midfield arm wrestle, with the Vikings increasingly dominating the scrum and line out, and the Ravens having the better of it in the loose. The frantic pace led to missed and dropped passes from both sides, but it gradually settled down.
Vikings stand off Evan Bradford broke the deadlock on twenty five minutes, scoring and converting a try to put his side 12 7 up.
Again the Ravens responded quickly, and three minutes later second row Matt Thomas touched down to equalise the score.
Bradford then scored and converted his second try of the match, closely followed by Chris Nixon who scored on the stroke of half time. Bradford converted for 26 12 at the break.
The Vikings had what looked like a comfortable lead, but the Ravens weren't out of it, so the next score was crucial. For fifteen minutes the score remained unchanged as both sides battled for the upper hand. Eventually though Rockcliff found a way through. From a catch and drive move following a line out on the Ravens five metre line, second row Craig Hamilton drove over to extend the Vikings lead.
Again this spurred the Ravens into action, and Joe Kiely scored his second try of the game when he picked up a loose ball in midfield and ran the ball in under the posts. Kirkman converted for 31 19 with twenty minutes left to play.
But, as the Ravens began to run out of steam, the Vikings took advantage to run in four more tries in the closing quarter of the match.
Scrum half David Neasham emerged from the bottom of a driving maul to claim the first, then Connor Madden broke through from thirty metres out to score in the left corner and 41 19.
Bradford then scored and converted his hat trick try, and he then set up Sam Higgins for the final try of the match. Bradford converted for 55 19 at full time.
Man of the match for the Ravens was Scott Kirkman, and Evan Bradford took the honours for the Vikings.
The teams photo is courtesy of Chris Welch
The Vikings progressed to the semi-final of the County No. 3 Cup after a hard fought game against the Ravens.
Tyler Boak got the Vikings off to a great start, sniping through from full back to score to the right of the posts at the Memorial end.
The Ravens countered quickly when number 13 Joe Kiely finished off a good attack. Stand off Scott Kirkman slotted home the conversion to put his side 7 5 up with only five minutes gone.
The game settled down into a midfield arm wrestle, with the Vikings increasingly dominating the scrum and line out, and the Ravens having the better of it in the loose. The frantic pace led to missed and dropped passes from both sides, but it gradually settled down.
Vikings stand off Evan Bradford broke the deadlock on twenty five minutes, scoring and converting a try to put his side 12 7 up.
Again the Ravens responded quickly, and three minutes later second row Matt Thomas touched down to equalise the score.
Bradford then scored and converted his second try of the match, closely followed by Chris Nixon who scored on the stroke of half time. Bradford converted for 26 12 at the break.
The Vikings had what looked like a comfortable lead, but the Ravens weren't out of it, so the next score was crucial. For fifteen minutes the score remained unchanged as both sides battled for the upper hand. Eventually though Rockcliff found a way through. From a catch and drive move following a line out on the Ravens five metre line, second row Craig Hamilton drove over to extend the Vikings lead.
Again this spurred the Ravens into action, and Joe Kiely scored his second try of the game when he picked up a loose ball in midfield and ran the ball in under the posts. Kirkman converted for 31 19 with twenty minutes left to play.
But, as the Ravens began to run out of steam, the Vikings took advantage to run in four more tries in the closing quarter of the match.
Scrum half David Neasham emerged from the bottom of a driving maul to claim the first, then Connor Madden broke through from thirty metres out to score in the left corner and 41 19.
Bradford then scored and converted his hat trick try, and he then set up Sam Higgins for the final try of the match. Bradford converted for 55 19 at full time.
Man of the match for the Ravens was Scott Kirkman, and Evan Bradford took the honours for the Vikings.
The teams photo is courtesy of Chris Welch
