Eastham rattles ’Head

Waterhead’s Danny Knight sidesteps his Oulton Raiders rival.

RUGBY:

WATERHEAD find themselves fourth from bottom in Division One of the National Conference League after slipping to a 40-22 defeat at home to Oulton Raiders.

The game was up for the Peach Road outfit at the break as they trailed the promotion hopefuls 22-0.

Andy Eastham went in twice — the centre completed his hat-trick in the second period — while Matty Bullough, Andy Tillett and replacement Brendan Shepherd also crossed for Raiders in a strong first-half showing. Hooker Jamie Benn kicked one goal.

Waterhead refused to throw in the towel, though, and put 22 points of their own on the board in the second period.

They halved the deficit thanks to tries from Darren Nixon and Jack Prem — Michael Diveney added a conversion — only for Raiders to hit back through Eastham, who wrapped-up his treble.

Both sides continued to find gaps, with Waterhead hooker Dale Lowe and winger Pete Davies going in — Jamie Mayall improved both efforts — and Jamie Chappell and Adam Biscomb touching down for Raiders, for whom Benn added four goals.