Rochdale Hornets were beaten 20 0 by Whitehaven in Cumbria after four first half tries secured the home side’s first win of the Betfred Championship season.
Gary Thornton’s side made five changes from the previous weekend’s defeat to Hunslet. Jack Holmes, Lewis Hatton, Luke Waterworth and Ben Metcalfe returned to the starting line up, while Jack Houghton made his debut after joining on loan from Widnes Vikings during the week.
The Hornets began brightly on a cold and windy afternoon on the Cumbrian coast, forcing Whitehaven to defend deep inside their own half. Strong defence and a series of unforced errors from the hosts helped Rochdale gain early territory.
Junior Sau went closest to opening the scoring when TJ Boyd’s pass just evaded him with the line in sight.
Whitehaven took control in the 18th minute when Ciaran Walker’s kick deflected back into his path and he grounded the ball for the opening try. Walker was unable to add the conversion but the breakthrough shifted momentum.
The hosts crossed again soon after as Seth Woodend finished down the right to extend the lead to 8 0. Walker again failed to convert.
Two further tries followed in quick succession. Ellison Holgate finished off a line break to make it 14 0 after Walker’s successful conversion. Ethan Bickerdike then powered over to complete a four try spell inside 20 minutes, giving Whitehaven a 20 0 half time advantage.
Rochdale attempted to respond after the break on a surface that deteriorated as the match went on. Dallimore’s kicking game forced consecutive goal line drop outs and the Hornets earned a string of penalties as they pressed the Whitehaven line.
Despite sustained pressure, handling errors and difficult conditions hampered their efforts. Whitehaven defended resolutely and relied on experienced players to manage the closing stages, preventing Rochdale from finding a route back into the contest.
The result leaves the Hornets with a second consecutive league defeat ahead of next weekend’s home fixture against Sheffield Eagles at the Crown Oil Arena.
Whitehaven scorers
Tries Walker, Woodend, Holgate, Bickerdike
Goals Walker two
Rochdale Hornets
Boyd, Holmes, Ashton, Taylor, Sau, Dallimore, Hansen, Hatton, Waterworth, Houghton, Kelly, Metcalfe, Syme
Interchanges Dayes, Green, Butterworth, Coleman
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