THE NCL has new leaders after SIDDAL knocked WEST HULL off their perch, on points difference, with a 32-16 victory as retribution for their 12-10 defeat on the east coast.
The Halifax outfit, who have won their last five matches, were 16-0 ahead by the 25th minute against a Green and Golds side who were seeking a fourth victory on the trot.
Siddal, who have a game in hand on Wests, established a lead they were destined not to lose through tries by Harry Milnes, Lewis Hosty and Josh Milnes, with Hosty and James Greenwood adding a conversion apiece.
Corey Priestman opened the visitors’ account but the Blue and Whites went in at the break 20-4 ahead, courtesy of Sam Walsh’s late touchdown.
Wests bounced back to only four points adrift with tries by the hour for Charlie Beet and Josh Oliver, both of which Jack Potter improved.
But Siddal were not to be denied and, after the hosts’ Dom Booth and the visitors’ Priestman had been yellow carded on 68 minutes for fighting, sealed victory with late touchdowns by Harry Milnes and Greenwood, the latter adding both conversions.
The contest closed with Siddal’s Conner MacCallum being sinbinned for a late tackle, with West Hull’s Sonny Cooper also being given ten minutes in the cooler, for a high challenge.
YORK ACORN and WEST BOWLING both went into their fixture bidding to avoid fourth successive defeats and, in the event, Wests prevailed 41-0 to complete a double.
The Bradford side stay third while Acorn, despite the efforts of Danny Byworth, have slipped into the relegation zone.
Wests led 22-0 at the break, with the help of tries by Matthew Bailey, Harry Williams, Nath Light and Lewis Magson.
Elliott Cousins, Magson and Alix Stephenson dotted down in the second period while Williams, who converted six scores, wrapped matters up with a late field-goal.
WATH BROW HORNETS, who had drawn 18-18 in Castleford, edged LOCK LANE 6-4, despite having Fran King sinbinned on 65 minutes for a high tackle.
Hornets, who consolidated their play-off credentials with a third win on the hoof, trailed 4-0 at the break, Sam Darley having popped over on 31 minutes for the visitors.
But, despite the absence of King – and the testing, wet conditions – Wath Brow snatched victory through a try seven minutes from time for Karl Dixon, Sam Curwen converting from close to the posts for the key two points.
Lock Lane, who have now gone three games without a win, are only outside the drop zone on points difference.
Reigning champions HUNSLET ARLFC are out of the bottom three for the first time (and are outside the top six, and a place in the play-offs, purely on points difference from Thatto Heath) thanks to a 62-0 triumph over relegation-haunted LEIGH MINERS RANGERS, who travelled with a full quota of players but have now gone eleven games without a win.
Hunslet ARLFC were 20-0 ahead, having posted two George Rayner tries and touchdowns for Jake Dearden and Harry Dodd – with Jordan Gale having booted the first two of his nine goals – before Leigh’s Ben Turner was sinbinned on 24 minutes for a professional foul.
Harry Shackleton and Jimmy Morgan subsequently dotted down to help establish a 32-0 interval lead and the half-century was breached with further tries for Josh McClelland, Dodd and Tyler Dargan.
Hunslet ARLFC’s Joe Abson (ruck infringement) and the Miners’ Kieron Reid (throwing the ball at a player) were sinbinned with six minutes left, before Rayner completed his hat-trick and Dan Sarbah raced in for the south Leeds side.
THATTO HEATH CRUSADERS have leapfrogged ROCHDALE MAYFIELD into the top six, thanks to a 40-16 win in St Helens.
The Crusaders never looked back, in completing a double, after Keane Gilford and Ryan Saunders nipped over in the first six minutes, with Ryan Houghton booting the first two of his five goals.
Jack McConnahie replied for Mayfield but the Heath were 24-4 ahead at half-time, after tries by Houghton and Oliver Owen.
Gabe Parker extended the lead eleven minutes after the restart, Jack Jones converting on this occasion, before Connor Dwyer (Thatto) and Noah Lawton (Mayfield) were sinbinned for an altercation.
Corey Lee duly extended the Crusaders’ lead before Mayfield’s Cole Connolly goaled what were effectively consolation tries by Jordan Parr and McConnachie. And the last word went to the hosts, with Saunders’ second touchdown.
Last year’s Division One champions WATERHEAD boosted their top-six bid by completing a double over bottom side DEWSBURY MOOR with a 32-22 win in Yorkshire.
The Maroons, though, pushed the team from across the Pennines hard and were 22-18 ahead as the game entered the final quarter.
At that point the Warriors’ Gareth Owen was sent off for an alleged headbutt, while the hosts’ Amir Sghaier was yellow carded for ‘aggravating the opposition’.
Waterhead, however, had the better of the rest of the fixture, registering unanswered tries by Kegan Brennan and Jenson Hamilton, with the former landing the last three of his six goals.
Ryan Crossley, Luke Adamson and Eddie Brown had crossed for the Moor, with Gregory Colbridge (four) and Bradley Foster landing goals. The Warriors had posted tries for Harrison Dodd, Danny Bridge and Hamilton.