Waterhead pay for second-half slump

GOTCHA: John Fox (St Anne’s) is held by the Shaw Cross defence).

1 More Image(s) In Gallery

AMATEUR RUGBY: WATERHEAD coach Paul Geener was left scratching his head after a calamitous second half at Castleford Lock Lane.

Entering the clubhouse 14-0 up after producing some superb rugby, the Peach Road side looked certainties to pick up a sixth win of the season in National Conference League division two.

But after dominating the opening 40 minutes, Lock Lane turned the tables on Waterhead to win 22–18.

Two injuries and a spell in the sin bin for Sean Garrett didn’t help the visitors’ cause and the result was a disappointment for Geener.

“We could have had more points in the first half and it was probably the best we have played all year,” he said. “Half-time coming was the worst thing that could have happened to us.

“We went off the boil and everything changed. There is a lesson to be learned from it.”

A penalty from Mick Diveney and a try in the corner from winger Chris Brown which Diveney converted gave Waterhead a healthy lead, Scott Beswick charging over to make it 14-0.

Lock Lane responded four minutes after the restart through prop Joe Graves and John Bassinder claimed a second home try on the hour, Danny Rowse adding the goal.

James Gilpin and Adam Myers also crossed, Rowse kicking two more conversions before Chris Brown went over again in the closing stages for Waterhead, whose captain Kieran Grennan stood out.




SADDLEWORTH Rangers “weren’t at the races” in the words of their coach Keith Brennan, losing 25-24 to second-bottom club West Bowling in division one.



A penalty goal in the final two minutes — awarded for a high tackle which Rangers disputed — sealed the win for the Bradford side and served to heighten the importance of this weekend’s promotion battle at Bradford Dudley Hill.

“It was a flat performance all round from us and we need to respond to it quickly,” said Brennan, whose side remain top of the table three points clear of Thatto Heath.

Tries from Matt Wolski and James Dewhurst and goals by Jacob Galtress and Steve Illingworth gave Bowling a 12-0 lead before Shaun Robinson and Emerson Jackman responded, Michael Coates converting both to level the game at half-time.

The home side’s Damien Smith and Rangers’ Tom Lever exchanged tries and Bowling went over again through Sha Basha, Galtress converting.

Phil Wood hit back with a try which Coates improved, Illingworth kicking a drop goal to edge the home team ahead before a Michael Coates penalty seemed to have won it for Saddleworth.

But Illingworth had the last laugh, sending Rangers to their fifth league loss this term.




OLDHAM St Anne’s had a better afternoon, thrashing Shaw Cross 72-10 at home to keep their promotion bid on track.



Terry Whalley, Chris Carter, Dane English, Dave Harris (two), Lee Forsythe and Dominic Igoe scored first-half tries, Kiel Lancashire kicking five goals for Saints who were rampant on attack.

Danny Smith scored the Dewsbury outfit’s only score to make it 38-4 at half-time.

With man-of-the-match Danny Kay at the heart of the action, St Anne’s were well on top and continued where they left off. Harris completed his hat-trick and other tries came from Carter, English, Darren Fletcher, Peter Deakin and Danny Chrimes, with Lancashire (three), Fletcher and Chrimes all kicking goals.

An Andrew Fawkes try and Ben Diskin conversion were the only scores for Shaw Cross in the second half.