Hill land late blow

Try scorer Alex Jobson( celebrates with team mates.

RUGBY LEAGUE

WATERHEAD were denied two points by a late Dudley Hill try in a thrilling, controversial contest that ended all-square at 34-34 in Division Two of the National Conference League.

Leading 34-30 with only two minutes to go, Andy Robinson crossed for the visitors to deny Chris Hough’s side what would have been a special win — considering they had been down to 12 men from the third minute, after the dismissal of Kristian Constantinou for alleged kicking.

Alex Jobson opened the scoring for the home team, Jamie Mayall kicking the first of his five goals on the day, before Adam Jefferson and Nathan Kitson replied, both of those Dudley Hill efforts added to by Simon Sewell conversions.

Martin Sarsfield and Tom McMullen went over either side of an Auden Batey effort, but Kitson’s second left Waterhead looking at a 20-16 deficit as the teams changed ends.

Elliot Cousins and Sewell extended Dudley Hill’s lead, visiting man of the match Sewell converting his own score.

But Waterhead dug in and roared back. Hough, in the 16-man matchday squad as hooker, crossed first and Danny Maher’s brace helped the Peach Road side into the lead, before the Bradford side rescued a draw late on.

o OLDHAM St Anne’s continued their plunge into relegation danger with a 58-8 hammering at the hands of Elland in Division Two.

A shortage of players meant that coach Mick Fogerty was always up against it making the short trip across the Pennines — but even up against a team second in the standings, it was a disappointing effort from the visitors.

Elland rattled up 30 unanswered points before Saints got on the score sheet after the break, thanks to tries from Dominic Bryan and Josh Denbigh.

But Elland racked up a total of 10 tries on the day, with man of the match Joseph Nicholson scoring a hat-trick and Phil Taylor kicking eight goals. Other try scorers were Jack Fairbank, Chris Dyson, Ben Hinsley, Thomas Hall, Jake McCarthy and Joseph Worthington, with Nicholson also claiming a conversion.

With three sides currently two points adrift of St Anne’s, and with a trio of clubs dropping to Division Three at the end of the season, Fogerty’s unsettled side need to quickly improve a defensive effort which has now seen the team ship 136 points in the last two fixture.

SADDLEWORTH Rangers were again on the receiving end of a defeat, going down 52-16 at home to Oulton Raiders in Division One.

enforced

The contest started well for the home side despite many enforced changes from the team which beat Eccles, with Josh Bradbury’s pair of goals putting them 4-0 up.

But it was the last time they held the advantage. Oulton’s Danny Hardy grabbed a quick-fire hat-trick of tries before Ashley Webb — only just back from suspension — was sin-binned for the alleged use of a knee.

Lawrence Dibbs, Josh Murray and Harry Grayson all crossed before half-time and three Danny Mackintosh goals made it 30-4 at the interval.

Nathan Batty and Chris Hope (two) increased the lead with scores converted by Mackintosh, before Chris Conway’s try and conversion provided Rangers cheer.

Jamie Milburn pushed Oulton past the half-century point.

Shane Tupaea’s side had the final word with Bowden Morgan’s try which Conway improved.