A PRESSURE-cooker penalty-goal in the final minute, landed from ten metres inside a touchline and on the 20-metre line by Arian Woods, earned SHAW CROSS SHARKS an 18-16 victory at WIGAN ST PATRICKS and secured a double after their 24-22 win in Dewsbury.
The dramatic finale, after Wigan St Patricks had been penalised for a high tackle, helped the visitors consolidate their play-offs ambitions.
Saints, for whom Conor Taylor was red carded on 70 minutes for alleged dissent (Brad Smith had been sinbinned on 54 minutes for a trip) have slipped in the standings to eighth, albeit seven points clear of the relegation zone.
Pats, with Malta international prop Dean Zammit setting a strong platform, had the better of the opening exchanges.
Conor Taylor scored the opening try on five minutes, with Smith improving, and that was how it stayed until three minutes into the second period, when Logan Bradbury’s touchdown stretched the lead to ten points.
The Sharks, though, bounced back to lead 12-10 on 52 minutes, courtesy of tries by Jack Toulson and Brad Wakenshaw, with man-of-the-match Woods adding both conversions.
Saints regained the lead with 15 minutes left, Danny Ryding crashing in and Dec O’Donnell adding the extras.
But the Yorkshire outfit restored parity when Nath Wright dotted down shortly before Conor Taylor’s exit. And although Woods couldn’t improve, the scrum-half was on target with that penalty.
Leaders WIGAN ST JUDES notched a sixth win on the hoof by prevailing 24-16 at STANNINGLEY.
Judes, who had won 32-16 in Wigan, were pegged at 12-12 midway through the first half but went twelve points clear by the 70th minute through touchdowns for Reece McNally and Danny Fallon, Danny Cassidy, who had improved opening scores by Cal Palmer and Connor Parkinson, adding a conversion and a penalty-goal.
Stanningley, level through Thomas Flannery’s conversions of tries by Luke Townend and Jack Sykes, had the last word with Sykes’ second touchdown. But it was too little, too late for the fourth-placed side.
Second-placed HEWORTH completed a double over KELLS, who had lost 28-10 in Cumbria, with a 22-4 success.
The Miners scored first, through Harry Watson, but were unable to avoid a third successive defeat, or prevent the Villagers from posting a fourth win on the hoof.
Finlay Tait and Liam Richmond crossed before the break and unanswered tries followed in the final quarter for Richmond (again) and Harrison Briggs, with Jack Sadler completing a three-goal contribution.
OULTON RAIDERS moved off the bottom, above Woolston, thanks to a 34-26 win over 15-man CROSFIELDS, who remain rooted in the drop zone, six points adrift of fourth-bottom Kells with only five matches left.
The Soap, who had won 20-4 in Warrington, shot into a ten-point lead to suggest a double was a possibility, but Oulton were 28-20 in front as the closing quarter approached.
Keiron Thomas’ try and Nathan Taylor’s third goal pegged the Raiders back to a couple of points but Joe Horan’s second touchdown, on 67 minutes, with Archie Craggs booting his fifth goal, ensured Oulton ended a five-match losing run and inflicted a third successive reverse on Crosfields.
Kieron Walpole bagged a brace for the Raiders, for whom Lewis Hagan and Charlie Costello also crossed.
Aaron Holliday, Taylor Boyne, Tom Millington and Ben Steele had opened for the Soap.
WOOLSTON were level at 12-12 midway through the first half against promotion-chasing INCE ROSE BRIDGE but were unable to add to tries by Louis Talbot and James Tarpey, both of which Ryan Brown converted, in a 58-12 setback.
Mason Fillingham led the way for Ince, who had won 38-14 in Wigan, with two tries and nine goals and there were two tries each, also, for Jack Heaton, Jamie Malone and Casey Shaw. Callum Hughes and TJ Boyd closed the account. Brown and Malone were yellow carded following an altercation early in the second period.
EGREMONT bounced back from an early try by Aidy Gleeson – scored after Rangers’ Pat Wells had been yellow carded, and converted by Matt Whitehead – to topple OLDHAM ST ANNES 30-10.
Annes subsequently had Lewis Holliday (late tackle) and Kendall Davies (professional foul) sinbinned, with the Cumbrians making the most of Holliday’s sanction by registering tries for Sam Appleby and Lachlan McDonnell to help turn a 6-6 scoreline into an 18-6 lead.
Other home touchdowns, as revenge was gained for the 46-10 defeat in Oldham, went to Wells and, in the last five minutes, Brad Long and James Messenger, while Matt Bewsher kicked five goals. The Saints replied through Connor Rose.