Rangers lacking home comfort

ANOTHER home defeat for Saddleworth Rangers — their fourth in a row at Shaw Hall Bank Road — saw the up-and-down side remain in mid-table in National Conference League division one.

Going into the second half against West Bowling with the score locked at 14-14, this was a clash which could have gone either way.

As it was Rangers, who fielded Jason Best on the bench following his midweek transfer from Oldham St Anne’s, fell to a penalty just before the hour mark that represented the only scoring action of the second period.

West Bowling took the lead after eight minutes with a try from centre Andrew Seagers, converted by Lee Innes, before a strong run and try from Jimmy Rogers, goaled by Michael Coates, levelled the game.

Shah Basha was next in for the visitors midway through the half, Innes again converting, but Sean Robinson’s close-range effort and Coates’ goal again pulled Rangers level just after the half-hour.

A Coates penalty then edged Saddleworth, whose man-of-the-match on the day was Lee Charlesworth, ahead for the first time five minutes before the break, with Innes making it 14-14 with a penalty of his own on the stroke of half-time.

And it was Innes’ boot which came up with the decisive score for the West Yorkshire side.

On a bad day for the local sides, St Anne’s fell 38-24 at Millom in division one thanks to a strong late rally from the Cumbrian side.

Despite having prop Andy Sands sent off after only 23 minutes, the visitors started well and a try from winger Graham Sykes was added to by one each for Peter Deakin, Kiel Lancashire and Dane English, with Lancashire adding four goals.

Millom responded with tries from Chris Warren and Steve Dawson and as the game entered its final quarter, the deficit was down to two points.

Further tries from Ross Brooke, Mossop and Christian Bagshaw, plus five Paul Evans goals, saw Millom home.

A strong second half show from Waterhead couldn’t save them from a 26-16 home loss to Castleford Lock Lane in division two.

First-half tries from James Cryer (two), Chris Stockton and Robbie Mawson, plus a Stockton goal, gave the visitors an 18-0 half-time lead.

Keiran Grennan and Mark Leyden then crashed over for Waterhead within a few minutes of the restart, Terry Fitzgerald adding a pair of conversions.

And a Lock Lane penalty was then answered by a Paddy Slicker score as the home side threatened to turn the game around.

As it was, Stockton’s try and a penalty in the final two minutes rounded off the scoring.