Women’s Academy win Derby
- Match Report as Wigan Warriors Women’s Academy beat St Helens at The Totally Wicked Stadium.
- The Warriors scored five tries on the night to run out winners.
- FT | St Helens 12-28 Wigan Warriors.
Match Report as Wigan Warriors Women’s Academy run out winners over St Helens Women’s Academy at The Totally Wicked Stadium on Wednesday night.
It was Saints who had the better of the opening exchanges and they found themselves with a 6-point lead after 5 minutes. Yates put a kick through for McDonald to collect and score, with Yates following up with the conversion for 6-0.
McDonald had another great effort not long after as a break down the right edge threatened to see the Warriors carved open but great defence saw her stopped short and denied of a second effort.
Wigan responded in the 23rd minute as Eve Ashcroft got Wigan back on level terms with a break on the right edge, rounding the St Helens defence to cut back inside and score under the sticks. The reliable boot of Emma Knowles saw the effort converted for 6-6.
Wigan doubled their advantage in the 28th minute as Arabella Reed crashed under the sticks on the last play of the set for Emma Knowles to convert and make it 12-6 to the Warriors.
With half-time approaching, there was enough time for the Warriors to go over again as Ruby Hunter, fresh off appearing in the Warriors Nines Finals win, fed Eve Ashcroft to race away for her second of the night. Emma Knowles’ conversion attempt from the touchline came back off the uprights as Wigan went into the break with a 16-6 lead.
Wigan crossed straight from the kick-off as Arabella Reed took the tackle on the first before Ruby Hunter broke the line to send Sydney Alderman-Smith down the right edge for the fourth try of the night. Emma Knowles added the extras for 22-6.
Despite Saints’ best efforts, the Warriors defence held firm and before long they were back on the attack. It was Sydney Alderman-Smith once again who put a lovely step to her right to shake off the oncoming St Helens traffic and race to the goal line. Emma Knowles added a fourth of the evening from the tee and it was 28-6.
The hosts had the final say as full-back Kinsella rose highest to collect a cross-field kick from Yates and reduce the deficit. The effort was converted by Yates but it was the Warriors who claimed the 28-12 victory at The Totally Wicked Stadium.
St Helens: Kinsella, Davis, Barrow, Gibbons, Hodgkins, Leach, Yates, Nixon, Maylor, McDonald, Middlehurst, Harmon, Williams.
Interchange: Rust, Mitchell, Hoyle, Hatton, Hall, Meakin.
Tries: McDonald (4′), Kinsella (55′)
Goals: Yates 2/2
Wigan Warriors: Sydney Alderman-Smith, Eve Ashcroft, Maddison Higson, Madison Brooks, Becky Cheetham, Ruby Hunter, Emma Knowles, Faith Yates, Morgan Pearson, Alisha Lawrence, Gracie Bradshaw, Libby Wall, Rachel Lane.
Interchange: Libby Clarke, Arabella Reed, Mia Atherton, Grace Pritchard, Andrea O’Leary, Chloe Brown.
Tries: Ashcroft (23′, 30′), Reed (27′), Alderman-Smith (31′, 49′)
Goals: Knowles 4/5
