INCE ROSE BRIDGE’S 100 percent winning record was shattered by neighbours WIGAN ST PATRICKS, who boosted their play-off aspirations with a stunning 22-18 win.
Pats recovered from Keegan Boyd’s early touchdown – Mason Fillingham adding his only goal in a game in which the sides scored four tries each – to lead 16-6 at the break, through scores by Brad Smith, Conor Taylor and Reece Rowcroft.
Eli Steinburg nipped over for Ince after the restart, but the Saints went 22-10 up when Smith crossed on 53 minutes and added his third goal.
And that was enough to take the spoils, despite the Bridge – who remain top – posting tries by TJ Boyd and, in the final minute, Kallem Rodgers, both too wide out for Fillingham to improve.
A field-goal by Josh Perkins twelve minutes from time, landed from some 20 metres out, helped earn OULTON RAIDERS a first win of the season with a 13-12 triumph over a KELLS outfit who had been seeking a fourth successive victory.
The Raiders, who have leapfrogged Crosfields off the bottom of the table, had previously posted a Joe Horan brace, Perkins improving both scores.
Kells had dissected those efforts with tries by James Ennis and Dan Starkie, both of which Grant Gainford converted.
Second-placed WIGAN ST JUDES were only behind for a short spell in the first half against OLDHAM ST ANNES before registering a 42-24 verdict.
Judes earned a third successive win through a Reece McNally brace, a try and five goals by Danny Cassidy – who also pulled off a try-saving tackle at a crucial stage – and touchdowns for Brogan Turner, McKenzie Davies, Danny Fallon, Connor Parkinson and Dante Morley-Samuels.
Annes missed out despite tries by Callum Fletcher, Haydn Wardle, Lewis Holliday and Matt Whitehead, the latter landing four goals.
HEWORTH, similarly, were only adrift for a six-minute period in a 24-18 victory over promotion rivals SHAW CROSS, for whom Max Sheard’s 77th-minute try and Evan Stephenson’s third goal was little more than a consolation effort.
Billy Sturdy crossed twice for the Villagers, Joe Varo, Adam Dent and Maddox Jeffery popped in, and Danny Allan and Jack Sadler landed a goal apiece. Nathan Wright and Lewis Bayliss replied for the Sharks.
Dent (professional foul on eleven minutes) and Shaw Cross’s Brandon French (repeat offending, 62 minutes) copped yellow cards.
STANNINGLEY, the form side of the section, beat winless CROSFIELDS 50-10.
Jack Brier scored a hat-trick, Adam Butterill contributed two tries and four goals, and Connor Aveyard posted a try and a conversion. Nathan Stone, Fraser Stroud, Luke Townend and Alex Ryan closed the account.
The Soap were 24-0 behind before Tom Millington’s try, and 46-4 adrift prior to Ben Lomax improving Tom Brown’s touchdown.
EGREMONT RANGERS eased clear of the relegation zone – and went above Cumbrian neighbours Kells in the battle for a berth in the top-six play-offs – with an ultimately comfortable 70-6 victory over WOOLSTON ROVERS.
It didn’t quite look that way at the interval, however. Rovers, who had travelled from Warrington boosted by a notable win over promotion hopefuls Heworth, went into the second period only 10-6 adrift, having responded to tries by Tom Houghton and Jack Conway – with Matt Bewsher kicking the first of his nine goals – through a Harry Files touchdown which Sean Kelly converted.
It was, though, one-way traffic in the second period, leaving Woolston embroiled in the relegation dogfight.
Lachlan McDowell, Houghton, Paul Corkhill, Quinn Wright, Conway and Bewsher crossed by the hour to help forge a 42-6 lead.
And although Rovers held out for the next ten minutes, with fullback Alex Pendlebury to the fore, Egremont – for whom Conway was hugely impressive – ran riot in the closing stages.
They eclipsed Oldham St Annes’ 58-4 win over Oulton Raiders on April 12 with the biggest win in the section so far this season through unanswered touchdowns for Sam Williams, Dylan Morris, Corkhill, Kye Beckett and, for his hat-trick, Houghton.