Kingstone Press Cider National Conference League round-up

PREMIER DIVISION

SIDDAL make it to their first Grand Final since 2011 after an excellent win over LEIGH MINERS RANGERS.

They now face either Leigh or Rochdale a week on Sunday in the NCL Grand Final at Widnes. Siddal dominated the game throughout led by man of the match and two time scorer Chester Butler.

A Jonny Youlds penalty gave Miners a two-point lead after four minutes. However on the 13th minute mark Siddal hit back with a try through Butler. Two minutes from the half time break it was another Butler try that extended their lead.

Gavin Stead landed the conversion leaving the score at 10-2. It didn’t take long for Siddal to get their third try of the afternoon when Ross White went over just before half time. Gareth Blackburn was the next to score after a great ball from Shaun Garrod to make the score 20-2.

Garrod got himself over the line on the 53rd minute with Stead adding the extras. Shortly after Siddal prop Richard Mervill was sent to the sin bin after a team warning for persistent offending. Siddal then bagged a try 12 minutes from time when Taniela Bakosa crossed the line.

Leigh’s try’s came in the last 8 minutes when O’Brien and Youlds combined to send Jimmy Muir over for a try with Youlds converting. Blackburn then added his second of the day four minutes from time to extend the Siddal lead. It was Leigh who had the last say when Shaun Dowie went over on the 79th minute with Youds converting. Final score Leigh Miners Rangers 14 Siddal 34.

Third place ROCHDALE MAYFIELD will have a chance to make it to the Widnes next week when they travel to League Leaders and Cup winners Leigh after beating WATH BROW HORNETS.

Todd O’Brien gave Mayfield a seventh minute lead when he crashed over for a try. After Sam Butterworth’s conversion it left the score 6-0. Man of the match Callum Marriott was next to score on the 19th minute. Two minutes from the half time break Mayfield got their third when standoff Paul Brearley crossed the line and Butterworth added the extras.

It was Wath Brow who scored next after Lewis McCarron broke the line to score. Cole Walker-Taylor adding the extras. Eric Johnson was sent to the sinbin after punching, but then when he returned he got himself on the scoreboard. Butterworth adding the extras.

However it was Wath Brow who had the last say when Scott pink went over for a try on the 77th minute, with Walker-Taylor adding the conversion. Final score Rochdale Mayfield 22 Wath Brow Hornets 12.

Saturday October 24

Qualifying Semi-Final
Leigh Miners Rangers 14 Siddal 34
Elimination Semi-Final
Rochdale Mayfield 22 Wath Brow Hornets 12

DIVISION ONE

YORK ACORN had to win their game against SALFORD CITY ROOSTERS to secure their place in the play offs and they did it in style. A try through Josh Mortimer gave them a fifth minute lead and a Matt Chilton conversion added the extras.

Eight minutes later Tim Stubbs added another try for Acorn with Chilton adding the extras again. Bradley White then got Salford on the board on the 29th minute, converting his own conversion leaving it 12-6 at the half time break.

It was all Salford from there on as they scored another six tries. Four tries in fourteen minutes helped Acorn over the finish line, tries coming from Bulmer, Johnson, Stubbs who bagged his second and then Thompson. It didn’t stop there as Bromwich and Budd also crossed the line. Chilton took his tally to five conversions for the day.

INCE ROSE BRIDGE needed a win against MILFORD MARLINS to make it to the play offs and they got it. It took 29 minutes for the deadlock to be broken and it came by Robbie Valentine for Ince. Milford were then next to score when Harry Gilfillan crossed the line. A Kieron Eccleston try on the 39th minute and a conversion from Baker gave them a 10-4 lead at half time.

Six minutes in to the second half Jamie Malone crossed the line to extend their lead and then Callum Huges closed the scoring on the 60th minute. With Baker adding his second conversion of the game.

Champions of division one KELLS, welcomed PILKINGTON RECS this weekend. Hat-trick hero and man of the match Tyrone Dalton got the game off well for Kells when he scored his first on the 11th minute. Ross Gainford with the conversion.

Four minutes later Jamie Smith hit back for Pilks and Danny Lynch converted. Ross Ainley crossed 10 minutes before half time for Kells with Gainford converting. But then Ian Stanley bagged himself a try for Pilkington but Kells went in 12-10 leaders at half time.

Gainford got Kells off to a great start in the second half scoring four minutes in to the second half, converting his own try. Dalton then scored four minutes later to get his second, and then bagged his third on the 56th minute. Gainford converted both. Pilkington didn’t give up however and they scored the last two tries coming through Smith and Lynch, however Kells held on for the win.

MYTON WARRIORS welcomed ELLAND this weekend. Four tries from two of Myton’s players helped them in to a healthy first half lead. Slater and Wheeldon both crossing the line twice in the first 40 minutes.

It took more than 20 minutes in the second half for a point to be scored when Myton’s Lee James crossed. Jorge Fairbank then bagged his first of two on the 68th minute, followed by an Oliver Fairbank try on the 72nd minute. Both converting their own tries.

It was then a Myton try on the 75th minute which put the game to bed. However the final score of the day game from Jorge Fairbank leaving the score 32-16 to Myton.

HUNSLET WARRIORS travelled to NORMANTON KNIGHTS this weekend. Daryl Gaunt set the Warriors on their way with an eight minute try with Man of the Match Richard Wheelhouse landing the conversion. Normanton soon hit back to take a 12-6 lead with tries from Clark Thompson and Lee Hammond. Joe Crossland added both conversions.

It was all even at the break as Gaunt found a way over whilst Warriors were down to 12 men after Mark Cunningham was sent to the sin bin.

Then a converted Wheelhouse try five minutes after the start of the second half gave the Warriors the lead for the first time but the Knights soon hit back with a Chris Woolford try and Crossland conversion. Gaunt’s third try closed the game followed by a Wheelhouse conversion.

SADDLEWORTH RANGERS took on SKIRLAUGH in an entertaining match. Carl Puckering converted 7 Seven out of seven, which helped him get the man of the match. Matt Fogerty crossed for an early try for Rangers but Skirlaugh soon hit back to take the lead at half time 12-4. Tries coming from Alex Foster and Stu Smith, along with two of Puckering conversions.

A converted Ben Whitehead try keep Saddleworth in the loop but the only other points they could manage were a Dale Lowe try and a Whitehead conversion. Skirlaugh went wild in the second half as Scott Mountain crossed twice with other tries coming from Lee Waterman and Jack Hazlewood. Smith also added his second try and Puckering converted all of the scores resulting in Skirlaugh coming in ninth place for the 2015 Season.

Relegated WIGAN ST JUDES didn’t give in when they welcomed SHAW CROSS SHARKS. The visitors took a tenth minute lead with a try through centre Brandon French with Casey Robinson converting the try. Judes then hit back minutes later to level the game with a try from hooker Nathan Bevan along with a Barry Rothwell conversion.

On the 21st minute Sharks crossed the line with a try through Aiden Chandler with the boot of Robinson been accurate again to extend the lead. Two tries in ten minutes saw the home side take the lead at half time. Tries coming from John Astle and Paul Pendlebury.

Tries within the first nine minutes of the second half from winger Ross Roebuck and man of the match Robbie Byatt gave the sharks a 22-14 lead. However when Ball crossed over on the 61st minute for St Judes and Rothwell converted, it resulted in a very nervy 19 minutes for the Sharks but they managed to keep them out and secure the win.

Saturday October 24

Salford City Roosters 6 York Acorn 42
Ince Rose Bridge 20 Milford Marlins 4
Kells 30 Pilkington Recs 18
Myton Warriors 32 Elland 16
Normanton Knights 18 Hunslet Warriors 26
Saddleworth Rangers 16 Skirlaugh 42
Wigan St Judes 20 Shaw Cross Sharks 22

DIVISION TWO

LEIGH EAST will be gutted after they led UNDERBANK RANGERS 22-4 at half time.  Rangers opened the scoring with a Craig Williams try after just nine minutes gone.

Leigh soon hit back just after the midway point of the half as centre Curtis Littlewood went in for a try followed by an Adam Holland conversion.

The half hour saw another try from Leigh’s substitute Sam Grainey with Holland again adding the two on offer.

The goal kicker then crossed for a try of his own five minutes later and then converted. Holland was then required to kick again when Littlewood scored, Holland being successful with the boot again.

The Underbank revival began five minutes into the second half when winger Courtney Allette crossed the line. Leigh still were in control as Holland extended their lead with a penalty conversion.

Things soon went wrong for Leigh as Ranger’s super sub and man of the match Luke Nelmes crossed the line on the 54th minute with Joel Croker converting.

The 66th minute saw Mitchell Turner cross the line with another Croker conversion. As time started to run out it was Luke Nelmes who levelled the score.

But it was winger Jonathan Tinker who scored the winner on the 75th minute to secure promotion in to division one.

Saturday October 24

Play-Off Final
Leigh East 24 Underbank Rangers 28

DIVISION THREE

A hectic 60 seconds at Wakefield Road saw STANNINGLEY secure promotion when they travelled to DRIGHLINGTON.

The game was held up for 50 minutes when an injury to the traveling teams second row Joe Phipps, who had to be hospitalised.

Josh Milnes gave Drighlington a lead on the 16th minute followed by Josh Roberts who went over for Stanningley, soon followed by another penalty by Milnes.

Drighlington then crossed for an excellent try through Tom Moorby. Shortly followed by another Stanningley try this time Smithson adding the extras. Giving them a 10-8 lead at half time.

It was Drig who got the first points of the second half when Ben Nabozny scored a try followed by a Milnes conversion.

Smithson then crossed on the 65th minute and converted his own leaving the score 16-14 in favour of Stanningley.

That soon changed when a Milnes penalty and a Larvin drop goal took Drig in to a 17-16 lead with only 60 seconds remaining.

However it was Prop forward Thomas Kent who spoilt the Drighlington party when he raced over with only seconds to go.

Saturday October 24

Play-Off Final
Drighlington 17 Stanningley 20