Five-star Smith demolishes Stanningley as Dudley Hill triumph

BRADFORD Dudley Hill wingman Damian Smith demolished visitors Stanningley with a five-try haul in the National Conference Division Two clash at Parry Lane.

The giant flyer used his considerable height advantage to collect a high kick from hooker Simon Sewell to out jump the defence to pounce in the corner, and was once again on the scoreboard when he reached the whitewash after second row forward Elliot Cousin spotted a gap on the blindside.

Stanningley responded in kind with a piercing passing move to send second row forward Dean Parker over, and they restored parity at 8-8 when centre Brad Fox latched onto a dummy pass from full back Jackson Green.

Hill shook off the loss of stand-off Tony Huby, who was carried off with a leg injury, to spread the ball wide into the path of Smith. He easily rounded his opposite number to stretch out to the chalk to complete his hat-trick with only 20 minutes on the clock.

The visitors' rapid attacks gained fair reward when substitute packman Lawrence Bell spun out of two flimsy tackles to reach the posts leaving wingman Jack Brown to add the extras to put them in front 14-12.

But it was Hill who should have had the half-time advantage when loose forward Danny Samuels failed to spot men on his outside after charging 40 metres down the middle.

Stanningley added to their total on the restart when Brown crossed wide enough in to make sure of full reward with the boot before Smith decided to take another vital part in the proceedings by intercepting 25 metres out to coast to the side of the uprights and Sewell slotted over the conversion.

Cousin, now directing operations in the half back role, put the Parry Laners back in command 22-20 when he barged over from the ruck, which was all too much for the Stanningley centre Sean Cooper who was sent off after venting his unwelcome observations to the referee.

Hill centre Martin Southwell, whose partnership with Smith had caused so much havoc, decided he should also get on the try sheet by skittling three defenders aside in a head down burst to the chalk, and scrum half Danny Softley landed the extra two.

It was entirely appropriate that Smith – the architect of the home success – should have the final say when he crashed over at the flag after a series of ping pong passes for his fifth of the game.