Hensingham’s outstanding youngsters have triumphed in an incredible 2021 North East Rugby League Under-16s Cup Final.
After a close battle at Kingston Park Stadium in Newcastle, they saw off a second half comeback from opponents Gateshead Storm to win 36-30.
The finale increasingly frayed the nerves of Hensingham’s vocal travelling support as what had been a substantial lead ebbed away.
It took an adrenaline-fuelled try from captain Logan Holgate to put the match beyond doubt in the final minute.
Storm were large, powerful and had some quick runners, but it was Hensingham who opened the scoring with an unconverted try from Miller Dalton with a charge down the left wing on five minutes.
Scott Egan then scored the first of two tries in quick succession, twisting through the Gateshead defence and powering over the line, with Luca Hiddleston converting for a 10-0 lead.
Egan’s second to dot down under the sticks came from a high-speed run from deep in his own half after Hensingham regained possession through excellent defence.
Hensingham now looked unstoppable, and a smart offload from Devan Sharp left Finn Kennedy with a clear line to run in a score and another Hiddleston conversion gave Hensingham a 22-0 lead.
Too good to be true with 35 minutes gone? Indeed it was, and warning bells rang when a well organised Storm attack on the right wing let in the impressive Harry Lowery for an unconverted try, and it was 22-4 at the break.
Hensingham started the second half with a try from the powerful James Stanaway and a Hiddleston conversion, so thoughts of a Storm comeback again faded.
But Gateshead had other ideas and the quick running of Jacob Rennison produced two Storm tries, one an elegant swan dive past the corner flag, and two Tom Siddle conversions closed the gap, and it was game on.
Now Hensingham were on the back foot, and it took a try from Tom McKinney, who burrowed his way through three Storm players, some breathing space.
Not for long though. A third try for Storm’s Rennison; then a try for Siddle, again on the right wing, followed by a try from Nathaniel Ohimor, whose physical strength had been a threat all day, left the score at a precarious 32-30 lead for Hensingham with just minutes left to play.
This end-to-end game had gone down to the wire after the Storm fightback, but as the game entered the final minute on referee Jamie Hooper’s watch, Hensingham attacked.
Captain Holgate saw a gap, headed for the line, and dragging two Gateshead players with him touched down for the final score of the day right on the hooter.
