Lock Lane 26
Siddal 12
Lock Lane kept in touch with the top-six in the Impact Performance National Conference League Premier Division with a keenly contested 26-12 victory over Siddal.
This was a game of play-off intensity with both teams giving everything in a midweek close encounter.
Siddal had much the better of the first twenty minutes and were unlucky when a good passing movement saw the Lock Lane defence react quickest to halt Sam Walsh, then a couple of minutes later the visiting centre thought he had opened Siddal's account after excellent work between Daniel Rushworth, Christian Ackroyd, and Lewis Hosty only for the effort to be disallowed.
A brilliant low tackle from eventual player-of-the-match, Lewis Price also prevented Ben Hinsley from scoring after he was sent charging away by the outstanding Josh Milnes for Siddal. Somehow it remained scoreless for the first eleven minutes until Ackrohyd saw his attempted kick trapped by an opponent's leg. He was quickest to react, twisting and spinning away from a couple of challenges before touching down and Joe Martin goaled to make it 0-6.
Once again the visitors threatened after 16 minutes but good defence from the hosts prevented a score from Oliver Lewis and the winger was put over the touchline.
After maintaining their composure it was then the turn of Lock Lane to apply some pressure of their own and after Chris Siddons had been held over the line, the hosts opened their account with a bit of sprightly work around dummy half by Dan Maskill in the 26th minute and Nathan Fozzard added the first of five goals to level the score at 6-6.
On the half-hour, a magnificent kick from Danny Sowerby had Hosty in all kinds of problems and he spilled the ball into the path of Lewis Price who raced over only to look up and see the effort disallowed for offside.
Hosty attempted to play on after the challenge but only lasted a couple of minutes before having to be replaced while winger Courtney Alette, making his first Siddal appearance in two years after a succession of injury issues, also succumbed. It lessened the attacking options of the visitors and Lock Lane crafted their second try in the 33rd minute when Maskill released the pass brilliantly for Craig Duncan to zoom through the gap. Fozzard goaled and kicked a 40/20 for Lock Lane, but the visitors showed excellent defensive resolve to hold out until the break.
An error in the first minute of the second half from Siddal piled on the pressure and when they were caught offside after a kick was spilled, Fozzard stepped up to add a penalty goal and stretch the advantage to 14-6.
There was still little between the sides and on another day Walsh could have had a hat-trick, while unselfish play from Ackroyd saw him fling a pass wide when he looked certain to score himself.
The telling score came before the hour mark when a no-look pass from Danny Sowerby created space for Price who dived under the posts at speed for Fozzard to goal.
The kicking of Fozzard made Siddal get through a lot of work but they responded with a converted try by Joe Martin following Ackroyd's trickery. Siddal needed the next score and it almost came off with a last tackle play in the 73rd minute. May was just denied.
Lock Lane made sure of their win a couple of minutes from time when Paul Brown scooped up from dummy half and surged over the line, and Fozzard completed the score with his fifth goal.
In Division One Clock Face enjoyed a 38-4 win at local rivals Crosfields.
Waterhead Warriors took a step closer to the Division Two crown and are now just one win away from confirming a second promotion in two years with a comfortable 44-6 win over East Leeds, while Wigan St Judes boosted their play-off hopes with a 34-10 home success over Normanton Knights and leaped above their visitors into 6th position.
By Dave Parkinson
