OULTON RAIDERS and WOOLSTON ROVERS have been relegated.
Woolston had been effectively condemned to the drop for some time and lost 36-18 at STANNINGLEY, who stay fourth in the table and remain handily-placed for the promotion play-offs.
A stop–start game was played with intensity but also strewn with errors.
An early try for Jack Vincent, scored out wide and calmly converted by Adam Butterill (who goaled all his side’s six tries), set a good platform for hosts Stanningley.
But back-to-back errors and penalties, and a smart last-tackle chip and chase, led to Rovers’ big man Jake Poundlove crashing over, with Ryan Brown adding the two (he converted each of three Woolston tries).
The visitors, with loose-forward Harry Files impressive, then calmly completed their sets and had Stanningley on the roundabout with two Alex Pendlebury tries.
The first came from a deft Brown short kick and the second from a right-to-left shift after sustained pressure on the home line.
Luke Townend’s score, going into half-time from scrum play, helped reduced the arrears to 18-12.
After the break, Stanningley’s Jamaine Ruan crossed for an early four-pointer from close range, closely followed by Sam Peel who scored a well-worked try on 45 minutes.
In the next set, a fracas ended in a sinbinning for Peel, but Stanningley defended capably for the next 15 minutes.
They held the line well and came out the other side with man-of-the-match Vincent breaking from deep for the lightning-quick Luke Townend to score and regain control of the contest.
Stanningley crossed a final time when Alfie Peach ran a short line, with a double after the 32-24 success in Warrington duly completed.
The Raiders are also destined for Division Two after losing 30-16 at home to play-off aspirants OLDHAM ST ANNES, who had triumphed 58-4 on their own patch.
The Leeds side, though, were only 18-16 behind when Joe Horan was sent off on 60 minutes for alleged dissent, Annes duly easing home with tries by Lewis Hollidge and Joe Hartley, with Matt Whitehead landing the last two of his five goals.
Oulton had been in contention through a try and two goals by Archie Craggs, with Kieran Walpole and Kian Watson also crossing. Hartley, Callum Giblin and Ady Gleeson replied for Saints.
CROSFIELDS, who are six points adrift of Kells with only three fixtures remaining (and have a significantly inferior points difference) are also effectively doomed.
The Soap, who travelled to second-placed HEWORTH with only 14 men, were 12-0 down when Nathan Taylor converted his own score on 14 minutes, but the Villagers kicked on for a 58-6 win to complete a double after their 20-10 triumph in Warrington.
Finlay Tait led the way with three tries and four goals, while Joe Deighton and Billy Sturdy crossed twice. Other touchdowns went to Liam Jackson, Liam Watling, Fraser West and Ellis Southerington, and George Elliott improved three scores.
Leaders WIGAN ST JUDES, who had been held to a 16-16 draw on their own ground, won the return at WIGAN ST PATRICKS 26-8.
Pats, who are now out of the top six (below St Annes and Egremont), scored first, through Ronan Bradbury, but were 20-4 adrift when Jake Hewlett crossed in the closing quarter.
Judes prevailed through tries by Brogan Turner, Danny Fallon, Reece McNally, Dec Parkinson and McKenzie Davies, with Turner (two) and McNally adding goals.
INCE ROSE BRIDGE, who had won 16-8 in Dewsbury, were never behind in toppling fellow play-off hopefuls SHAW CROSS 30-10.
Callum Hughes, with a hat-trick, scored all Ince’s second half tries while the Bridge had led 16-6 at the break through touchdowns for TJ Boyd, Byron Aspinall and Peter Valentine, with Eli Steinberg landing the first two of his three goals.
The Sharks’ reply involved tries by Ben Andrassy and Brad Wakenshaw, plus an Evan Stephenson conversion.
EGREMONT maintained their push for a play-off spot with a 20-6 win over KELLS, who had been beaten 20-16 in Whitehaven.
Rangers’ Tom Houghton and Kieran Glenn crossed before Jack Ainley replied for the Miners, Ross Gainford’s conversion reducing the arrears at half-time to 10-6.
The hosts, though, eased home with tries in the closing quarter for Brad Long and Jack Conway, with Matt Bewsher adding his second goal.