Vale of Lune 92-7 Rochdale

Vale of Lune moved 22 points ahead of their nearest rivals with just six games to play on Saturday after their 92-7 win over Rochdale.
Damon Hall scores again for the Vale. Picture: Tony North.Damon Hall scores again for the Vale. Picture: Tony North.
Damon Hall scores again for the Vale. Picture: Tony North.

It was Vale’s highest points victory of the season in which 14 tries were scored, 11 being converted by Damon Hall, who also ran in four tries.

Well inside the first minute the Vale had points on the board when Damon Hall collected the ball 80 metres from Rochdale’s line to race away behind the posts for a converted try.

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In the fifth minute, scrum half Jordan Dorrington took a quick tap penalty to skim his way past the defenders before releasing Fergus Owens for another converted try.

After such a traumatic opening Rochdale came more and more into the game with a number of probing attacks that brought the Vale down to earth, and a bungled Vale line out allowed Rochdale to mount a crossfield attack that resulted in a converted try.

Vale responded in the 16th minute with a neatly constructed try.

Jonty Higgin blasted through a number of tackles before sending Hall scooting over for a converted try.

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The final score of the half came in the 28th minute – Hall collected his hat-trick when he cut back inside for a converted try which secured the try bonus point.

Vale began the second half as if they meant business.

Fergus Owens touched down for an unconverted try after two minutes following a burst from Andy Powers.

Three minutes later Vale opened up from deep in their twenty two with an outrageous attack full of unselfish running that culminated with Andy Powers rounding off a sweeping attack for a converted try that had the East Terrace in raptures.

The half century beckoned and tries from Evan Stewart, which was converted, after yet another move conducted a high speed and Chris Ramwell in an attack that showcased the skills of Stewart who had made the initial break, and the eel like qualities of Ramwell when he dived over the line in spectacular fashion to push the score over 50 in the 52nd minute.

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On the hour, Jack Turton sent Jordan Dorrington sprinting away for a converted try.

Hall went solo from deep and although he was shadowed by a pleading Ramwell, the number 15 touched down for a converted try in the 65th minute.

The agony was piled on Rochdale with two popular converted tries from Jack Ayrton in the 74th and 76th minute respectively.

There was still enough time remaining for Olly Jacques to squeeze over for a well earned unconverted try and Fergus Owens to complete a move with a converted try that had been started by Sam Wallbank and featured an unselfish pass from Harry Fellows.