WATH BROW HORNETS boosted their bid for sixth spot – and, with that, a place in the end-of-season PREMIER DIVISION championship play-offs – with a 14-4 win at relegation-haunted HEWORTH.
The fixture, which had initially been postponed at the end of July because of a sun-baked pitch, finally went ahead in testing rainswept conditions in which points were at a premium.
Hornets, who had prevailed 50-12 in Cumbria, were limited this time to three tries. And that was more than enough to defeat the Villagers in a match which could nevertheless have gone the other way.
Connor Molyneaux nosed the visitors in front on ten minutes, Jake Moore adding the only goal of the match, but Heworth registered a try on 33 minutes by Noah Handley to peg the Brow back to 6-4 at the interval.
Hornets, however, scored the only points of the second period. Reuben Butterworth nipped over seven minutes in, and Fran King crossed six minutes later to effectively seal an important win.
The Brow, who have won two of their last five games, are now four points clear of seventh-placed Wigan St Judes, on whom they have a game in hand.
Heworth remain rooted in the bottom two and are two points shy of Lock Lane and three points adrift of York Acorn who have, respectively, one and two games in hand.
Play-off and relegation issues are closer to being resolved after YORK ACORN’S 34-10 home victory over WIGAN ST JUDES.
The fixture, originally postponed on Saturday, July 11 (again, through a rock-hard pitch) was, as with the match at Heworth, played in wet conditions.
The result arguably hinged on an incident shortly before the hour-mark (when the 12-10 half-time score in favour of Acorn, who were seeking to avoid a third successive defeat, still stood) following which a red card and two yellows were brandished by the referee.
Judes’ Lewis Crosby was sent off for allegedly sparking the 57th-minute fracas with an elbow to the face, while Acorn’s Matt Chilton was sinbinned for running in.
Judes’ Elliott Garrido copped a yellow card for dissent and the hosts made the most of the extra man with four unanswered tries.
Clayton Shepherdson grabbed the first, on 67 minutes, and George Hunt crashed in five minutes later.
Ben Hodder dotted down in the 75th minute and Hunt claimed his second score in the closing seconds, with Ant Chilton booting his fifth conversion.
It had all been so very different in the first half, when Luke Swales opened for Acorn in the sixth minute, only for Judes to go 10-6 up with tries on 15 minutes (for Jack Worthington) and 27 minutes (Joe Brady) with Dec Parkinson converting the second score.
Acorn, however, went in at the break a couple of points to the good thanks to Hodder’s late touchdown and Chilton’s second goal.
Acorn have leapfrogged Lock Lane and are now fourth-bottom of the section.
Judes, who have lost their last four games – and who had beaten Acorn 28-18 in Wigan – must win at least two of their last four games to draw level with Wath Brow in the standings, while also hoping that Hornets (who have a significantly superior points difference) lose all five of their fixtures.
The planned Division One fixture between Wigan St Patricks and Egremont Rangers has been put back to Saturday, October 3 by mutual agreement.
SCOREBOARD
Wednesday 26 August
CONFERENCE REGIONS
NATIONAL CONFERENCE CUMBRIA: Dalton 24 Hindpool Tigers 0.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE NORTH WEST: Woolston Rovers 16 Clock Face Miners 22.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE YORKSHIRE A: Bradford Dudley Hill 44 Stanley Rangers 10.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE YORKSHIRE B: Newsome Panthers 6 Fryston Warriors 0.
REGIONS
NORTH WEST MEN’S LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION: Shevington Sharks 16 Halton Farnworth Hornets 16.
Thursday 27 August
REGIONS
NORTH WEST MEN’S LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION: Chorley Panthers 6 Hindley Stags 34.
DIVISION 2: Blackpool Scorpions 6 Hindley Stags Reserves 26; Latchford Albion Giants 24 Oldham St Annes A 0.
Friday 28 August
REGIONS
BARROW ARL
BARTON TOWNLEY FINAL: Barrow Island 32 Millom 16 (at Speed Competitions Stadium (Craven Park)).
Saturday 29 August
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION
Heworth 4 Wath Brow Hornets 14
York Acorn 34 Wigan St Judes 10
DIVISION ONE
Wigan St Patricks v Egremont Rangers
Postponed to Saturday, October 3
CONFERENCE REGIONS
NATIONAL CONFERENCE CUMBRIA: Distington 24 Ulverston 0; Seaton Rangers 0 Dalton 24.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE SOUTH: North Herts Crusaders 24 Brentwood Eels 0.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE YORKSHIRE A: Mirfield Spartans v Beverley -nr; Drighlington 24 Bradford Dudley Hill 18; Myton Warriors 8 Keighley Albion 18.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE YORKSHIRE B: Fryston Warriors 82 Hull Dockers 10; Skirlaugh 24 Normanton Knights 0.
REGIONS
NORTH WEST MEN’S LEAGUE
DIVISION 1: Garswood Stags 24 Wigan St Cuthberts 0.
MERIT DIVISION: Crosfields A 50 Greater Manchester Police 20; Westhoughton Lions 18 Culcheth Eagles 30.
ENTRY DIVISION: Widnes St Maries 32 Langworthy Reds 0; Blackbrook A 34 Ince Rose Bridge A 28.
YORKSHIRE MEN’S LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION: Doncaster Toll Bar 38 Ossett Trinity Tigers 0.
DIVISION 1: Wibsey Warriors 0 Upton 34.
DIVISION 2: Derby Elks 0 West Hull 48; Cutsyke Raiders 0 Eastmoor Dragons 24.
DIVISION 4: Batley 20 Sherburn Bears 36.
DIVISION 5: York Acorn 24 Harrogate Hawks 0.
DIVISION 6: Knottingley Mustangs 0 Sheffield Hawks 24.
FRIENDLIES: Lock Lane 10 Whinmoor Warriors 28.
Fixtures
Tuesday 1 September
REGIONS
YORKSHIRE MEN’S LEAGUE
DIVISION 3: Dewsbury Moor v Drighlington.
Wednesday 2 September
REGIONS
YORKSHIRE MEN’S LEAGUE
DIVISION 2: Eastmoor Dragons v Castleford Panthers.
DIVISION 3: Bramley Buffaloes v Queensbury.
Friday 4 September
NATIONAL LEAGUE
DIVISION ONE
Shaw Cross Sharks v Oulton Raiders
REGIONS
CUMBRIA MEN’S LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION: Wath Brow Hornets A v Cockermouth Titans.
DIVISION 1: Egremont Rangers A v Glasson Rangers.
Saturday 5 September
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION
Heworth v Siddal
Rochdale Mayfield v Lock Lane
Thatto Heath Crusaders v Wath Brow Hornets
Waterhead Warriors v Hunslet ARLFC
Wigan St Judes v West Hull
York Acorn v West Bowling
DIVISION ONE
Dewsbury Moor Maroons v Leigh Miners Rangers
East Leeds v Kells
Oldham St Annes v Egremont Rangers
Pilkington Recs v Dewsbury Celtic
Wigan St Patricks v Stanningley
CONFERENCE REGIONS
CROSS-CONFERENCE PLAY-OFFS
GROUP A: Moldgreen v Orrell St James; Hensingham v Fryston Warriors.
GROUP B: Newsome Panthers v Dalton; Mirfield Spartans v Blackbrook.
GROUP C: Saddleworth Rangers v Keighley Albion; Skirlaugh v Distington.
GROUP D: Barrow Island v Featherstone Lions; Ince Rose Bridge v Thornhill Trojans.
SHIELD: Crosfields v Normanton Knights; Ashton Bears v Hull Dockers; Maryport v Stanley Rangers; Milford v Beverley; Bradford Dudley Hill v Seaton Rangers; Myton Warriors v Woolston Rovers; Drighlington v Millom.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE SOUTH: Hammersmith Hill Hoists v London Chargers; Wests Warriors v Bedford Tigers.
REGIONS
CUMBRIA MEN’S LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION: Kells A v Roose Pioneers; Flimby Vikings v Askam; Kells A v Roose Pioneers.
DIVISION 1: Maryport A v Aspatria Hornets; Dalton A v Hensingham A.
NORTH WEST MEN’S LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION: Folly Lane v West Bank Bears; Halton Farnworth Hornets v Chorley Panthers; Heysham Atoms v Hindley Stags; Shevington Sharks v Waterhead Warriors A; Westhoughton Lions v Wigan St Judes.
DIVISION 1: Garswood Stags v Runcorn Highfield; Newton Storm v Golborne Parkside; Salford City Roosters v Spring View.
DIVISION 2: Clock Face Miners A v Hindley Stags Reserves; Latchford Albion Giants v Thatto Heath Crusaders Academy; Portico Vine v Oldham St Annes A; Saddleworth Rangers A v Orrell St James A.
ENTRY DIVISION: Ince Rose Bridge A v Woolston Rovers A.
YORKSHIRE MEN’S LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION: Newcastle Lightning v Brighouse Rangers; Dodworth Miners v Ossett Trinity Tigers; Hunslet v Doncaster Toll Bar.
DIVISION 1: Seacroft Sharks v Emley Moor; Sharlston Rovers v Upton; Wibsey Warriors v Birstall Victoria; York Barbarians v Stainland Stags.
DIVISION 2: Goole Vikings v Dearne Valley Bulldogs; West Hull v Lindley St Joseph’s.
DIVISION 3: Bramley Buffaloes v Underbank Rangers; Dewsbury Celtic v Moortown Mambas; Drighlington v Birkenshaw Blue Dogs; Dewsbury Moor v Queensbury.
DIVISION 4: King Cross Park v Newsome Panthers; Keighley Albion v Batley; King Cross Park v Newsome Panthers; Ossett Trinity Tigers Academy v Stanningley; Sherburn Bears v Hemsworth Dragons.
DIVISION 5: Crigglestone All Blacks v Harrogate Hawks; Farnley Falcons v Shaw Cross Sharks; Methley Warriors v York Acorn; New Earswick All Blacks v Hull Wyke.
DIVISION 6: Garforth Tigers v Rycroft Hammers; Guiseley Rangers v Milford; Moldgreen Rams v Sheffield Hawks; Moorends Thorne Marauders v Knottingley Mustangs.
DIVISION 7: Boothtown Terriers v Featherstone Lions; Clayton v Woodhouse Warriors.
ENTRY: Dearne Valley Bulldogs A v Heworth; Hull Knights v East Leeds.
FRIENDLIES: Odsal Sedbergh v Whinmoor Warriors.