Spirited Saints snatch vital success

TWO late Kiel Lancashire penalties and a drop goal from Paul Ashton earned Oldham St Anne’s a crucial 15-10 victory at Shaw Cross Sharks in National Conference League division one.

The result lifts Saints out of the bottom three, putting a two-point cushion between themselves and the Dewsbury side in the process.

The visitors got off to a good start, Rick Badby chipping into the corner to cause confusion in the Shaw Cross defence which David Cookson benefited from to touch down, Lancashire adding the conversion.

It was end-to-end stuff and the home team levelled things up on 25 minutes when their man-of-the-match Steve Scott went in under the posts, Chris Renton adding the goal.

Minutes later, Shaw Cross mounted another attack – only for Dane English to turn the tables, intercepting and making a good 80-yard dash downfield only to be stopped just short of the line.

On the hour, Saints retook the lead when Ashton’s chip to the corner was gathered by Badby to touch down next to the flag.

But with 10 minutes remaining, it looked like the Sharks were heading for the much needed win. Scott offloaded in the tackle to put loose forward Andy Fawkes in at the side of the posts to level the scores – but, fortunately for St Anne’s, Renton’s attempt at the conversion failed to get off the ground.

After being on the wrong end of the penalty count in the first period, Saints – whose man-of-the-match was Paul Garrett – took advantage when awarded two penalties in their opponents half to take a four-point lead before Ashton’s one-pointer on the last play of the match.


WATERHEAD were knocked out of the Carnegie Challenge Cup at the first round stage, losing by two points to the same Castleford Lock Lane opponents that had done likewise last week.

Whereas last time out in the National Cup the West Yorkshire side won 18-16, this time the score was 16-14 in their favour at Waterhead Park.

Debutant Daniel Parry responded to an early penalty by rounding off a good passage of play in the corner, John Mitchell missing the conversion before marking his return to the first team with a penalty goal.

A try for the visitors two minutes before the break was converted, but Mitchell responded by adding another goal on the stroke of half-time.

An Andrew Cheetham try, going over from acting half for an effort converted by Mitchell, put Waterhead in command at 14-8 as the action resumed.

But a try for the visitors on the hour, followed by another just five minutes later, established a lead the home side, for whom Will Schofield was outstanding, just couldn’t quite match.


SADDLEWORTH Rangers are in the draw for round two of the Challenge Cup following a 36–12 win at Hull Isberg.

It wasn’t an easy win for Rangers, who were forced to recover from a 12-6 deficit at one stage, but once man-of-the-match forward Emerson Jackman had come off the bench the visitors looked a different proposition.

An early try for Isberg by Brett Leach, converted by Andy Kay, was answered on 10 minutes by winger Dave Hewitt, Michael Coates adding the extras.

The home side went in front again through Ricky Monforth’s try, goaled by Kay, only for Jackman’s walk-in effort from close range, added to by Coates, to level it up again.

Liam Coates then went over from half-back to give Rangers a four-point lead as the sides switched ends.

Further tries followed in the second half for Tom lever, James Whalley, debutant Dale Lowe and Gareth Davies, with Michael Coates adding two more goals and Liam Coates one.