Valuable win for Rangers

HIT-UP: Carl Sneyd takes the ball in for Waterhead in their game against Eccles. PICTURE by CHRIS SUNDERLAND.

RUGBY: SADDLEWORTH Rangers cantered to a 44-10 home win over nearby rivals Rochdale Mayfield, with prop forward Anthony Morrison taking the man-of-the-match plaudits.

The National Conference Interim competition Group 'C' result now leaves open the possibility that the Greenfield outfit could even qualify for the next stage — a prospect that was remote only a few weeks ago.

After going 2-0 down to an Aiden Gleeson penalty, Rangers responded midway through the first half with an Ethan Langhorn try.

Four more tries arrived before the interval — Liam Coates, Jack Bradbury and Danny Bowker all scored, Jack Bradbury kicking four goals — and Bowker's

second of the game eight minutes into the second period killed off any hopes Mayfield may have had of launching a comeback.

Coates added a second try which Jack Bradbury improved, Todd O'Brien crossing for the visitors.

Junior Brandford and Chris Conway added tries for Saddleworth, Jack Bradbury notching a sixth goal, before Nick Hargreaves touched down for Mayfield with a minute remaining.




OLDHAM St Anne's remain on the heels of Waterhead in Group 'E', after thrashing Crosfields 56-14 at Higginshaw Road.



Kiel Lancashire's individual 24-point haul did much to aid the Saints cause, made up as it was of two tries and eight goals.

Dominic Igoe was first to cross for the home team, Lancashire added a second and Paul Garrett went over in the corner — before intercepting to send scrum-half Jordan White on a 70-yard dash to between the posts. Lancashire added three goals.

Ben Kenwright got one back for the Soap, but Danny Kay's try and Lancashire's goal restored the points cushion before the visitors added another through Ben Thompson, with David Rolt converting from the touchline for a 28-10 interval lead.

Lancashire scored a long-range effort and kicked the goal to start the second half in good fashion for Saints, before Daniel Brown's try for Crosfields was added to by a Rolt goal.

With a quarter-hour left, Crosfields lost Jack Giblin to the sin-bin for a professional foul on Lancashire.

Four more tries were registered, as Dave Harris, Garrett, Terry Whalley and Chris Carter all touched down, Lancashire getting three more goals.




CARL Sneyd was the star of the show for Waterhead — effectively beating Eccles all on his own.



The former Swinton player, also making waves in darts (see Page 32), rattled up 28 points as a result of a hat-trick of tries and eight goals in his team's 48-26 home win in Group 'E'.

However, the game was a close contest before Waterhead pulled away in the final 16 minutes.

Terry Fitzgerald got the first try of the game shortly before the half-hour, Sneyd converting. Martin Judge responded soon after, before Sneyd's boot helped the home team to a 8-4 half-time advantage.

Scott Owen's brace of tries for Waterhead were answered by scores from Adam Taher (two) and Carl Mort, leaving Eccles trailing 20-16 on the hour.

Sneyd's treble was followed by efforts from Matthew Barran and Paddy Slicker, Sneyd rounding off the scoring for Waterhead with Taher's own hat-trick score arriving in response.

Tom Warburton landed three goals for Eccles.