Skolars recorded their fifth win of the season and the first away from home in over two years with a seven try display against Gateshead Thunder.
Thunder defended strongly in the first half as Skolars attacked for long periods. Dylan Skee was hled up over the line early on, but it wasn’t long before Smokie Junor opened the scoring, finishing off after Oliver Bloom had made a break from the base of the scrum.
The home side levelled the score late on the half through Stephen Welton, but Skolars went in ahead at half-time after a Matt Thomas diagonal run opened the defence for a try on a welcome return after 4 months out through injury.
Skolars made a decisive score straight after the break. Danny Burke raced from halfway before combining with Thomas and James Anthony, who set up Aaron Small for his first senior try for the club.
Anthony scored himself five minutes later after being released in space by Jermaine Coleman. Thunder scored soon afterwards through Dan O’Sullivan, but Skolars were determined to notch their first win on the road since they beat Workington Town on 17 May 2009. They went further ahead when Skee finished off a Sam Gee break to score under the posts.
Will Colleran added Skolars’ sixth try before Anthony again showed his pace, taking a pass from Skee on the halfway line and leaving the defence in his wake.
Olly O’Mara’s try for Gateshead just before the end couldn’t dampen Skolars’ celebrations as the final hooter sounded.
THUNDER
44 Mitchell Stevens
34 Ashley Thackeray
30 Mike Mitchell
17 Joe Brown
16 Robin Peers
40 Paul Stamp
26 Connor Condron
8 Jason Payne
7 Ryan Clarke
10 Stephen Welton
13 Mike Kelly
5 Dan O’Sullivan
31 Will Bate
Subs (all used)
22 Chris Parker
9 Tom Hodgson
32 Ade Aderiye
33 Olly O’Mara
Tries: Welton (34), O’Sullivan (51), O’Mara (78)
Goals: Stamp 1/2, Clarke 1/1
LONDON SKOLARS
3 James Anthony
18 Aaron Small
36 John Paxton
31 Will Colleran
2 Smokie Junor
19 Jermaine Coleman
7 Dylan Skee
25 Austen Aggrey
32 Sam Gee
15 Olly Purslow
34 Lamont Bryan
37 Jaroslaw Obuchowski
12 Oliver Bloom
Subs (all used)
21 Danny Burke
11 Matt Thomas
29 Michael Sykes
22 Saqib Murtza
Tries: Junor (11), Thomas (39),Small (42), Anthony (47,75), Skee (54), Colleran (71)
Goals: Skee 4/7
Penalty count: 15-4
Half-time: 6-10
Referee: Greg Dolan
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 6-10, 6-16, 6-20, 10-20, 10-26, 10-30, 10-36, 16-36
