R League: Rampant Crusaders rewrite record

Aug 13 2007 by Our Correspondent, South Wales Echo

Celtic Crusaders 84-10 Hunslet Hawks

CELTIC Crusaders secured a club record eighth win in a row and their highest ever score, in the first of three successive home games at the Brewery Field.

Their hammering of Hunslet Hawks sets them up nicely for another clash with a Yorkshire side when they host Keighley Cougars at the Brewery Field next Saturday in a match that will be screened live on S4C.

And if the Crusaders play like this against the Cougars, then the S4C viewers will be in for a treat.

The in-form Welsh side dominated the game from the start and ended up running in 15 tries to beat their 82-point haul against Swinton Lions earlier this season.

While Crusaders fans are celebrating and knowing that they are just four games away from the Co-operative National League Two championship, the faithful Hunslet fans know that they are supporting a club in crisis.

Their side, who gave a welcome debut to 16-year-old Joey Walkin, younger brother of Ben, broke a record of their own – the most points they have ever conceded in a match, beating their 82-0 Challenge Cup defeat against Bradford Bulls four years ago – and slipped out the play-off places following London Skolars’ win at home to Gateshead.

Crusaders took the lead in under two minutes when Paul Ballard pounced on a grubber kick for his 21st try of the season.

Mark Dalle Cort out-jumped Mark Cunningham six minutes later to catch the ball and ground Crusaders’ second of the night. Van Dijk converted.

It was 14-0 two minutes later when Tony Duggan ran in for a third, his 31st of the season, while Damien Quinn leapt in under the posts for Crusaders’ fourth try on 13 minutes and Van Dijk once again had no problem with the extras after both tries.

Crusaders weren’t letting up. Grant Epton ran half the length of the field to score under the posts and Van Dijk kicked his fourth of the evening.

Ballard followed that up with his second try straight from kick-off.

Mark Moxon finally got the Hawks on the board as he slid in for a 25th minute try, but Crusaders restored the balance on the half hour when, following a penalty, Rob Toshack scored in the corner.

Jamie I’Anson stormed through for Crusaders’ eighth try on 34 minutes which Van Dijk duly converted to make the half-time score 44-4.

Hawks opened the scoring in the second half when Caldon Bravo ran in and Darren Robinson converted. But they couldn’t capitalise on that and instead it was the Crusaders who ran riot.

A Quinn try on 53 minutes was converted by Van Dijk to bring up the 50.

Luke Young ran over his side’s 10th try straight from kick-off while Duggan did likewise three minutes later. Van Dijk converted both.

Ballard completed his hat-trick two minutes after that, while Dalle Cort, man of the match Darren Mapp and Duggan crossed for further scores with Van Dijk and Quinn (2) supplying the other conversions.

Happy Crusaders coach John Dixon said: “We scored some wonderful tries so it was a good day all round.”

echo.sport@wme.co.uk