In a thrilling and hard-fought encounter at Horden and Peterlee, the Valkyries managed to hold off a resilient Carlisle Cougars side to secure a 26-7 victory.
The Cougars came into the match with strong defensive intentions, and they certainly lived up to that as they thwarted the Valkyries’ attacking efforts for much of the first half.
For 36 minutes, the visitors kept the home side at bay with a disciplined and organised defence.
However, just before the half time whistle, a handling error from the Cougars allowed the Valkyries to pounce.
Capitalising on the mistake, the Valkyries finally broke the deadlock, touching down for a try. There conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 5-0 as both teams headed into the break.
The second half saw the Valkyries push for more, and it didn’t take long for them to double their lead, this time successfully converting the try to extend their lead to 12-0.
However, the Cougars weren’t done yet. With determination and grit, Carlisle responded with a try of their own.
Clare Powell powered through the Valkyries’ defence to get the Cougars on the scoreboard, with Sarah Smyth adding the conversion to bring the score to 12-7.
The game took a dramatic turn when the Valkyries were reduced to 14 players after a yellow card for a croc roll. Despite being a player down, the Cougars couldn’t capitalise on their numerical advantage, as the Valkyries’ defence held firm.
Once the Valkyries returned to full strength, they shifted the momentum back in their favour.
With the Cougars dealing with injuries, the Valkyries seized the opportunity to add two more tries, further stretching their lead.
In the end, the Valkyries secured the win with a final score of 26-7.
Try scorers
- 1x Clare Powell
- Conversion by Sarah Smyth
Players of the match
- Forward of the Match – Jess Hetherington
- Back of the Match – Lynsey Rumney
- Opposition of the Match – Sarah Smyth
