By Andrew Jackson

Published at 11:12, Thursday, 07 April 2011

WHITEHAVEN maintained their unbeaten record in the league and moved into positive points in the league table.

try time: Scott McAvoy scores his second try for Whitehaven against London Skolars

However, despite whilst the final scoreline might suggest an emphatic victory, it wasn’t until the second half that Haven started to dominate.

“I was really pleased with the second half performance,” commented coach David Seeds.

“In the first half we wanted to hit London hard, but made too many errors and gave away too many penalties.

“We went away from our game plan. In the second half we stuck to that game plan and played at the tempo that we wanted to.

Haven had early an early chance when Chris Smith found a gap, but the referee adjudged that there was an obstruction. Skolars responded at the other end with Jy-Mel Coleman scoring on the right flank.

It wasn’t until midway through the half that Haven equalised. Lewis Palfrey was stopped just short of the line, but Lee Doran wasn’t going to be denied, with Palfrey converting. They scored again with their next set with Scott McAvoy racing through a gap on the left hand side.

McAvoy then set up Haven’s third try in ten minutes, drawing in the defence just enough to create a narrow gap in the corner for Carig Calvert to slip through and ground the ball inches from the corner flag.

His former wing partner at Haven responded for Skolars with a try in the opposite corner, set up by another ex-Haven player – Dylan Skee.

Haven looked uncertain at this point and when Dave Arnot leapt outside the field of play to prevent a penalty going into touch they suddenly had to work hard to defend what now a four point lead.

Further defence was needed when Jy-Mel Coleman succeeded with a 40-20 kick.

But with the likes of Spencer Miller and Howard Hill defending well they held out to half time.

The chances started to come more in the second half. Richard Farrer couldn’t quite continue a Carl Sice break and took a good effort by Skee and Adebisi to deny the promising Loz Hamzat down the right side. However, Scott McAvoy wasn’t going to be denied when he took the ball from 20 metres out and he powered over for his second try.

Skolars then forced Haven to concede a goal line drop out, but the resulting kick by Lewis Palfrey’s went sailing over the half way line past the waiting Londoners, who then had to scramble to stop the ball finding touch five metres from their own try line.

As a result, Haven were able to keep Skolars pinned down in their own half. Chris Smith and Paul Cullnean combined to open a gap for Luke Isakka to score.

Three minutes later the two combined again, with Cullnean slipping a pass out for Smith to finish off.

Three tries in 11 minutes had sealed the victory, but Haven continued to attack, much to the delight of the fans that had made the long journey to the capital. Craig Benson joined the attacking line, breaking through the defence to score.

Haven’s ability to score back-to-back tries was re-inforced when centre Max Wiper from the next set to crown his debut after joining the club on a dual registration with Salford.

Palfrey rounded off a good day with a converted try, before Austen Aggrey rounded off the game with a consolation try for the Londoners.

LONDON: Thorman, Iwenofu, Arnot, May, Adebisi, Skee, Coleman, Hart, Honor, Murtza, Purslow, Cook, Clement-Pascall. Subs: Gee, Aggrey, Williams, Simon

Tries: Coleman (13), Adebisi (31), Aggrey (77).

Goals: N Thorman 2/3.

WHITEHAVEN: Benson, Hazmat, Wiper, McAvoy, Calvert, Palfrey, Manihera, Cullnean, Smith, Isakka, Miller, Doran, Beattie. Subs: Sice, Hill, Farrer, Wilton

Tries: Doran (19), McAvoy (21,49), Calvert (26), Isakka (57), Smith (60), Benswon (66), Wiper (69), Palfrey (74).

Goals: Palfrey 6/9.

Half-time: 10-14.

Referee: Warren Turley.

Attendance: 542.

Star Man: Scott McAvoy.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk