MATCH REPORT | SHARKS 21 vs 19 BRISTOL BEARS
Your Sharks edged out a young Bristol Bears team in a close-fought game at the CorpAcq Stadium to make it two wins from three in this season’s PREM Rugby Cup.
A brace of Arron Reed tries and an early Alex Wills score were enough to see Sharks over the line on a night when the club and 4,247 fans remembered those who have given their lives serving their country.
Ahead of kick-off, coaches from both sides laid wreaths pitchside along with Staff Sergeant Hoos from 1 Regiment Army Air Corps and Kingsman Raistrick from 4th Battalion Duke of Lancaster Regiment. That was followed by a minute’s silence and the Last Post.
When the game kicked off it was Sharks who took the early initiative and they were rewarded with ten minutes on the clock when Ollie Davies put Wills in the left corner. Davies converted to make it 7-0.
The home side extended their lead inside 20 minutes when Davies put Reed through a gap to dive under the sticks. The England U20 fly-half converted to make it 14-0 and it looked like Sharks would add to their score. But chances came and went and it was Bristol who scored next from a driving maul.
Worsley missed the conversion but with half-time approaching it was 14-5 and game on. Bears couldn’t add to their score in what was left of the first period, but they came out firing in the second-half and on 46 minutes Max Pepper scored the first of his two tries to bring the score to 14-12.
The game was now finely poised and both sides had chances to score as the second half went on. But it was Sharks who extended their lead on 63 minutes after a miscued goal line drop out gave the home side a five metre scrum.
Scrum-half Dom Hanson broke and fed Davies who put Reed away for his second. Davies converted to put Sharks 21-12 in front.
But that lead didn’t last long. From a Sam Dugdale knock-on inside his own 22, Bears broke and scrum-half Pepper, the brother of England and Bath flanker Guy, dived over for his second. Worsley converted and the gap was down to two again.
As the clock ticked towards the 77 minute mark, Worsley had a chance to put his side in front but a long-range penalty fell short.
And with that, Bears chance had gone. Despite a nervy last three minutes, Sharks held out to win 21-19.
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