Round 3 Hemel Stags vs Dewsbury Celtic:

Hemel Stags 66 Dewsbury Celtic 16

Hemel maintained their impressive start to the campaign with a very classy victory against a Celtic side on their first hit out. Stags showed their pedigree in front of a large home crowd.
Magnificently led by 30-point hero BJ Swindells – who kicked a perfect 11 goals to go with two touchdowns – Stags got off to a flying start to overwhelm their young opponents.
A wayward pass by the visitors, who were then caught offside after Jared Searson’s interception, saw Tim Stevens reach over for the opening score in the fifth minute.
Brendan Williams’s double dummy then confused the Dewsbury defence and Scott Clendenning-Fenton backed up his half back partner to take the scoring pass.
Mercurial hooker Alex Brown’s mazy 20 metre run set up Searson in the corner and, following a penalty to Hemel for ball stealing, giant prop Joseph Compton-Meyer broke through two tackles and off loaded in a third to Dean Campbell who made it 22-0 in as many minutes.
Ashley Fyson had a try disallowed for a forward pass and only a flying try saving tackle in the corner prevented him from going in again, after Jon Weber and Matthew Clarke had been sin binned for an altercation.
Experienced second rower Dominic Byrne got the visitors on the scoreboard after the half hour, a spell of pressure on the home line finally bringing its reward but two tries in as many minutes just before the break ended any revival hopes.
Both came from swift passing from left to right, Brad Glen and then Swindells the final recipients.
Four minutes into the second half, Glen was over again, this time in a sweeping run from half way and Campbell followed him over to also claim his brace.
Dewsbury enjoyed a spell of dominance but could not find their way through a swarming home defence and at the other end, a superb off load from Brown saw Clendenning-Fenton in for his second to bring up the half century.
In the 65th minute, what had been a physical and sometimes ill tempered match boiled over on the half way line, Tom Watts for Hemel getting red carded for dissent while Stag’s Stevens and Tom Perks and Alex Walmsley for Dewsbury were sin binned, with the incident going on report.
The visitors rallied and made their extra man pay, William Brooke on the end of a well worked move.
Another bullocking run from Compton-Meyer saw the ball sent wide for Swindells to cross, the full back also landing the touchline conversion and Brown gained his reward with Hemel’s eleventh touchdown.
Dewsbury had the last word, Jack Millington crossing on the end of a fine break by Danny Lee.
Head coach Troy Perkins was pleased with the result and how the team is starting to gel.


Hemel Stags get a week off this week and are then back in action at Pennine Way on Saturday 2nd May against Gateshead.

Tries: Stevens (5), Clendenning-Fenton (8, 56), Searson (17), Campbell (22, 47), Glen (37, 44), Swindells (39, 70), Brown (74)
Goals: Swindells 11
Hemel Man of the Match: Alex Brown
Hemels Payers Player Award:
Half time: 36-6
Referee: T. Mather