Winning start for Rangers

SADDLEWORTH Rangers coach Keith Brennan was content after seeing his side open up their National Conference League division one season with a hard-fought 24-10 home victory over Bradford Dudley Hill.

Josh Brown, Lee Charlesworth, Tom Dransfield and Tom Lever were the Rangers tryscorers at Shaw Hall Bank Road in a tight, physical clash, with Michael Coates knocking over four conversions.

“We played well in the first half and though we fell away a little in the second, it is a pleasing start,” said Brennan.

“We did a few things that we have been working on in training which was good from my point of view, while there are things we need to eradicate from our game as well.”

On a wet pitch following an afternoon downpour, the home side dominated the opening stages of the game and went ahead after only three minutes when a well-worked move down the left saw returning scrum-half Adam Kirwan and Liam Coates send in centre Brown.

POWERFUL

Saddleworth doubled their lead nine minutes later, stand-out hooker Charlesworth reacting the quickest to stretch out on the floor after a grubber kick had been allowed to bounce in the Dudley Hill in-goal.

As the half drew on, the West Yorkshire side came into the contest and got on the scoreboard five minutes before the break through Ryan Dickinson, Simon Sewell’s conversion reducing the arrears to 12-6.

Kirwan then broke through the line 12 minutes into the second period to send over Dransfield for a simple score and from then on, Rangers held a powerful Dudley Hill side at bay by regularly pinning them back through good kick chases when Michael Coates boomed the ball downfield.

Errors did creep in and after big prop John Vakekavskas had driven just short, the ball was swept out left for Dudley Hill winger Neil Wall to dive home eight minutes from time to bring the score back to 18-10 and give some hope to the away side.

Kirwan eased any Rangers nerves by sending Lever away on his inside to skate home under the posts with three minutes left, Coates’ fourth goal polishing off the scoring.

Saddleworth: Lever; Robinson, Brown, Davies, Coley; M Coates, Kirwan; Rogers, Charlesworth, Best, Whalley, Walters, L Coates. Subs: Dransfield, Brandford, Rowe, Byrne.

BARLA are on the hunt for veteran players to take part in the Dubai Sevens competition later this year.

The squad of elder statesmen will be made up of between 15 and 17 players, with BARLA open age coach John Fieldhouse at the helm, and the veteran’s team will play in 10-a-side matches.

Clubs are being asked to put forward players between 35 and 40 years of age who are registered and active and who are available between November 30 and December 6, 2009.

Nominations should be made to — BARLA International Manager, West Yorkshire House, 4 New North Parade, Huddersfield HD1 5JP.

Closing date is Friday, September 4.

SAMANTHA Illing of Sholver is the winner of the competition to win a signed Oldham RLFC shirt courtesy of The Co-operative, having correctly named Tony Benson as the Roughyeds head coach.