Rangers hit by late-try double

RANGERS' Ethan Langhorn turns to referee Craig Kay after being pulled to the ground by two players from East Leeds.

RUGBY:

TWO late tries condemned Saddleworth Rangers to a second defeat of the season in National Conference League Division One.

A drop goal from the impressive Josh Bradbury had eased the home side into a 17-12 lead against East Leeds.

Rangers were only 15 minutes from a first league win of the year - only for their opponents to snatch a 23-17 success.

East Leeds drew first blood with a 13th-minute try.

Danny Turner replied four minutes later for Rangers, for whom coach Emmerson Jackman took his place in the starting line-up.

A Jack Ely touch down and a Sheldrake conversion carried the visitors 12-4 ahead just before the half-hour mark. But Rangers had the final say in the opening period as a try and extras cut the deficit to a couple of points.

Bradbury was also successful with his conversion attempt after Chris Conway had dived in eight minutes after the restart, and when the former landed a one-pointer Rangers were seemingly closing in on victory.

East Leeds had other ideas. Jake Normington, who earlier sin-binned, cut the gap to a single point with a try in the 73rd minute. David Nurse went in and Sheldrake kicked the goal - to leave Rangers with it all to do with three minutes to go. But they slipped further behind when Nathan Conroy added a drop goal 60 seconds later.



AT 12-0 in front away to Oulton Raiders — Mick Diveney converted touch downs by Darren Nixon and Josh Brown — Waterhead thought they were on their way to back-to-back wins in Division One of the NCL.