All eyes on last-four tie

AMATEUR RUGBY LEAGUE: HOLLINWOOD raced into the last four of the Pennine League’s Supplementary Cup with an emphatic 52-6 win over Brighouse Rangers ‘A’.

The Division Five promotion hopefuls were simply too good for the West Yorkshire outfit, who fell behind to a chip-and-chase from the impressive Andy Gorey, the former Roughyeds player gathering to score under the posts. He also kicked the goal.

Rangers hit back with a converted try, but it was all Hollinwood after that.

Gorey crossed for his second try, which he again goaled, and next it was the turn of stand-off Gareth Benias to go over by the sticks. Gorey added another two points.

Leading 18-6 at the half-way stage, Hollinwood soon increased their lead thanks to Ian Hunt, before Pete Jackson touched down, with Gorey registering the conversion.

That man Gorey was at it again moments later with another converted try, and he added two more points to the total after Pete Dobson got his name on the scoresheet.

Gorey piled on the misery for Rangers with a try and conversion. He made it eight goals for the afternoon and 32 points altogether after Kevin Collins finished off a slick move.

With the tie in the bag, the referee called time with 15 minutes left after Bret Mason was taken to hospital with an ankle injury, which turned out to be a bad sprain.

John Byram showed up well on his return to the Hollinwood side, and his experience will be vital when they visit Division Six team Huddersfield St Joseph’s ‘A’ in the semi-finals on Saturday.

As well as going great guns in Division Five — they are four points adrift of leaders Slaithwaite ‘A’ — Hollinwood are also in with an excellent shout of winning this season’s Rugby Oldham Challenge.

They are hot on the heels of Rochdale Cobras, who were without a game last weekend in the Kukri North-West Counties League.