Featherstone 0 Whitehaven 29: Gore grabs glory as Featherstone slump

They were outplayed by Whitehaven, who were full value for a shock victory.

Featherstone struggled to string their game together as they suffered their fourth straight defeat and seventh loss in 10 home fixtures this season.

Featherstone’s Paul Wood was held up over the line and Will Milner was hauled into touch near the corner before Whitehaven broke the deadlock in the 26th minute when man-of-the-match Grant Gore’s 40-20 set up the position for Dion Aiye to force his way over for the first of his two tries and Louis Jouffret added the first of his four goals.

Debutant Steve Snitch, signed on loan from Doncaster, was held up over the line in a spell of Rovers pressure before Aiye grabbed his second try.

Rovers pressed strongly early in the second-half but Whitehaven survived before increasing their lead when Chris Tayor’s clever kick was gathered by Gore, who sent in Taylor.

Featherstone lacked composure and their fate when sealed when Gore set up tries for Scott McAvoy and Jordan Burns before kicking a last-minute drop goal.

Rovers finished with 12 men after Wood was sin-binned for punching Davies and they lost winger Ben Blackmore in the second half with a shoulder injury.

Featherstone Rovers: Sharp; Blackmore, Cording, Milner, Hitchcox; Sykes, Cooke; Baldwinson, Ellis, Wood, Foster, Snitch, Spears. Substitutes: Bussey, Ormondroyd, Teasdale, James.

Whitehaven: Jouffret; Burns, Taylor, Chamberlain, Calvert; Aiye, Gore; Beaumont, Newton, T Chappelhow, McAvoy, Hepi, Brooks. Substitutes: Quinn, Davies, J Chappelhow, Wilde.

Referee: T Crashley (Wakefield).