Match Report | Sheffield Eagles 18-16 Featherstone Rovers

Sheffield Eagles secured victory against Featherstone Rovers for the first time since 2016 in emphatic style this afternoon with an 18-16 victory at Olympic Legacy Park.

Mark Aston named a raft of changes from the side that suffered a 6-50 defeat at Wembley Stadium against Wakefield last time out in the 1895 AB Sundecks Cup Final.

Evan Hodgson started to make his 100th career appearance, while there were also starts for Ryan Millar, Mitch Clark and Jesse Sene-Lefao.

Alex Foster is also back in the starting thirteen after his recent absence through suspension.

Kris Welham opened the scoring for the Eagles inside thirteen minutes when he picked up the ball after a brilliant Jack Hansen strike to score against his former side. Cory Aston ensured his kick was spot on to give the home side a six-point lead early in the game.

The visitors leveled the game in the twenty first minute when Caleb Aekins made a break through the Sheffield line before playing the ball inside to Conner Jones who crashed over the try line.

Quick hands from the Eagles gave James Glover space on the left to head over the try line to put us back in front before another successful kick from Aston put us 12-6 up at pause.

The visitors were the first to score in the second half when the quick feet of Paul Turner picked up a number from the Sheffield line before firing the ball wide to an open Gareth Gale on the right wing to power over the try line. Addy couldn’t add the extras, bringing the game to a narrow 12-10 lead for the Eagles.

Featherstone capitalized on a Sheffield tackle error with just over ten minutes remaining as they went ahead for the first time in the game. Paul Turner collected the ball 30 yards out and ran under the sticks to score, before Addy made no mistake straight in front of the sticks to bring the score to a four-point lead for the visitors.

But it was the Eagles who secured victory three minutes from time when Kris Welham picked up a loose ball 30 meters from the try line. With no one around him, he slotted the ball under the posts, ensuring Aston’s strike would complete a 100 per cent record this afternoon and seal an 18-16 win for Sheffield.

The Eagles return to league action next weekend with another game at Olympic Legacy Park as we take on Widnes Vikings next Sunday (3pm).

Sheffield Eagles: Jones-Bishop, Welham, Glover, Dawson-Jones, Aston, Hansen, Battye, Halafihi, Clark, Foster, Sene-Lefao, Hodgson

Subs: Bower, J.Farrell, Gwaze, Wood

18th man: Murphy

Tries: Welham (13′, 77′), Glover (31′)

Goals: Aston (3/3)

Featherstone Rovers: Aekins, Gale, Barley, Minikin, Eden, Turner, Addy, Springer, Jones, Albert, Wallace, Johnson, Nakubuwai

Subs: Harris, Fishwick, Tennison, England

18th Man: Wacokecoke

Tries: Jones (21′), Gale (53′), Turner (65′)

Goals: Addy 2/3

Attendance: 1,444

Referee: R. Cox

MOTM: Eddie Battye