NATIONAL CONFERENCE LEAGUE bosses are acting swiftly after both sets of players in the DIVISION ONE PROMOTION PLAY-OFF FINAL between INCE ROSE BRIDGE and STANNINGLEY were involved in a brawl, after the final whistle, which spilled over into the main stand at Post Office Road, Featherstone.
Administrator Alan Smith said: “The NCL Management will carry out a full investigation into the fighting which took place at the end of the game. There will be no further comment until the investigation, and any disciplinary proceedings are completed.”
The scenes marred a pulsating clash in which Ince edged matters 18-14, despite having Brodie Butler sin-binned 14 minutes from time for allegedly delaying a restart after Fraser Stroud had booted a 40/20.
Stanningley, awarded a penalty through Butler’s indiscretion, looked likely winners when Adam Butterill landed the goal from 30 metres out to establish a 14-12 lead.
But Ince retrieved possession at the kick-off and Casey Shaw crashed over for what proved to be the match-winner.
Mason Fillingham landed his first goal of the game and Stanningley’s hopes took a further dive when Jack Vincent was yellow-carded for his part in a brawl, on 70 minutes.
Ince’s Peter Valentine was then sin-binned in the closing stages for kicking the ball away, but the Bridge held out under pressure and are now heading into the top flight, while Stanningley must try again.
Ince had opened the scoring in the second minute, a kick by Fillingham being collected by Callum Hughes, who dotted down too far out for Fillingham to convert.
Stanningley went close when Alfie Peach, Josh Phillips and Jack Vincent spread the ball wide to Connor Aveyard. But successive penalties to the Bridge (the first of the game) led to Ince’s Craig Sanby being held up.
A knock on by TJ Boyd led to Stanningley attacking from the scrum, only for Keenan Dyer-Dixon to be tackled into touch in the first play. However, after Fillingham had kicked out on the full, Stanningley’s Phillips and Adam Butterill linked to send Vincent over.
Although Butterill couldn’t convert, the fullback raced up-field from the restart to set up the position for Jeremy Wiscombe to dart over.
Butterill’s goal, from wide out, helped establish a 10-4 lead but Ince hit back on 33 minutes, a penalty leading to Kyle Malone, Kieron Eccleston and Fillingham feeding TJ Boyd, who glided through from 30 metres.
And when Butterill fumbled a Fillingham bomb, the ball going into touch-in-goal, the drop-out led to Eccleston flighting a long ball for Hughes to cross out wide.
Fillingham couldn’t convert, but Ince were 12-10 ahead at the break. Stanningley restored parity with a Butterill penalty as the game entered the closing quarter; but the prize of Premier Division status was to go to the Bridge.