OUTLAWS 34 FEATHERSTONE LIONS 28
Report by Ant Bullick
Nottingham Outlaws produced last minute heroics to edge Featherstone Lions 34-28 in a see-saw encounter at The Bay on Saturday.
Both teams failed to hold onto leads at periods throughout the contest and it wasn't until the 79th minute when Chris McNamara crossed the line for his second score of the game that the game was finally put to bed.
Will Reeve took a high bomb under intense pressure from an on-rushing Lions attack and somehow managed to escape their attentions to dance his way to the half-way line and then offloaded the ball to Simon Chilcott who raced down to the 20 metre line before being hauled down.
Nottingham then switched play from left to right and McNamara dived in the corner to win the game for the Outlaws.
The Outlaws were in need of a much needed win to cling on to their slim chances of making the play-offs and a battling performance saw them come away with victory.
However, Featherstone, sitting in the last play-off spot before kick off, left Nottingham with a bonus point leaving the Outlaws an even tougher task of grabbing a top six finish with three weeks of the regular season to go.
The Lions drew first blood in the match after eight minutes when a Watson show-and-go broke a resistant Outlaws' defensive line.
Nottingham settled back into the game immediately and Weir saw his try disallowed for a forward pass.
This merely delayed the inevitable and Oliver Crick, starting at centre, drew the home side level. Back to back penalties marched the Outlaws downfield and after Dom Walsh slipped as it looked like he would get the try down the right hand side, Crick popped up on the left one play later to touch down.
Ten minutes later and Nottingham went ahead 8-4 after second-rower Bryn Waldram powered over following good play from Shane Wright at dummy-half.
The Outlaws then displayed their defensive attributes as they kept the Lions out despite repeat sets in their own territory only for disaster to strike 10 minutes from half-time.
Two quick tries from the Yorkshire outfit sent the visitors in at the break 16-8 up.
First, John Smith got his line right to slice through the Nottingham defence and scored the try despite a despairing dive from Outlaws' full-back Reeve.
Then two minutes later, after Reeve had made a last-man tackle, Featherstone took full advantage of the full-back being out of position with a chip and chase over the top which Franklin gathered and touched down.
Franklin converted both tries to give Featherstone an eight point lead at half-time.
Nottingham did not let the end of the first half effect their spirit and came roaring back to score the first try of the second half.
Calland attacked the blind side with a grubber kick through and the ball somehow ricocheted into the path of McNamara who gratefully dived on the ball to reduce the deficit to 16-12.
From the resulting kick-off, Featherstone displayed some craft to re-gather the ball and a penalty for offside put the Outlaws under pressure right beneath their own sticks and, despite repelling the Lions advances at first, eventually conceded the try as Kear crashed over. Franklin converted to make it 22-12.
The Outlaws bounced straight back much to the delight of the home support as Calland's kick off bounced over the back line to give them excellent field position.
After the success attacking the blind side on their last try, Nottingham again went down this route with the same success as Chilcott got a well deserved try. Leon Crick converted to cut the lead even further to 22-18.
With the next try of the game crucial, Nottingham produced a sterling defensive effort over the following ten minutes with Waldram forcing a knock-on at the line as Featherstone looked certain to score and forwards Adam Millward and George Strachan combining to force a knock on with the Lions on the charge again.
Nottingham were rewarded for the effort in defence and took the lead with 20 minutes remaining.
Calland, Jimmy Lewis and O Crick all combined to release winger Melbourne Weir down the left hand side for the four points. L Crick then converted a tricky a kick from the right touch line to give the Outlaws a two point advantage.
Three minutes later and the Outlaws were on the score sheet again as Weir tormented the Lions down the left hand side before playing in Calland for the score.
The defensive effort continued from Martin Crick's troops and O Crick and Weir combined to force another knock on as Featherstone looked odds-on to score once more.
However, there was no denying the Lions two minutes later as Eady found his way through to touch down. Franklin converted to draw the sides level 28-28 with six minutes remaining.
Then came the magic from the Outlaws and McNamara's try. L Crick converted to give the Outlaws a six point lead with 60 seconds to go in the game.
Head Coach M Crick was more than pleased with coming away with the win saying, "What a fantastic feeling it is to not only get a win - but get a win in front of the home support.
"It was a thoroughly deserved victory for my guys and I'm so happy that they have finally got the result to go with the effort they put in.
"The players have been fantastic over the past few weeks and despite not getting the results they have deserved, have remained upbeat in training and I knew a win was not far off.
"We have not had the best season but everyone at the club is determined to end it on a high and we have got the ball rolling with a win today."
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