Saddleworth Rangers gave their survival hopes a boost with an exciting win over Shaw Cross Sharks on Tuesday evening in National Conference Division Two.
In truth, this could have proven a simpler task than a last-minute winner from veteran Steven Neild as Rangers boasted a 28-8 lead after Jack Holden scored the hosts' fifth try in the 56th minute.
It started positively for Rangers when Freddie Wilson sniped over from dummy half and Matty Whitehead struck the first of five goals in the fifteenth minute. Shaw Cross struck back in the 22nd minute when wing Lucas Smith finished well on the left, although Tomlinson missed the conversion.
Five minutes later Sam Hart notched the first of his brace with a try underneath the posts and Whitehead's goal stretched the hosts' lead to 12-4. Hart's second try and subsequent conversion from Whitehead upped the advantage to 18-4, but Shaw Cross gave themselves a lifeline in the closing stages of the first half when Nathan Wright notched the first of his hat-trick. This came a couple of minutes after Dec Tomlinson was sin-binned for a late tackle.
Trailing 18-8 at the break, the visitors needed a good start to the new half, but instead, it was Saddleworth that cut loose again with Adam Jeffrey using plenty of strength to get the ball down and a fourth goal stretched the lead to 24-8.
Next, more good build-up was rewarded when Holden scored by the posts. Surprisingly the conversion was missed. The visitors were again down to twelve after Tomlinson was sin-binned for a second foul. This seemed to spur Shaw Cross on, especially when Hart was sinbinned for persistent high tackling after 63 minutes. Wright took advantage to cross for his second try after cutting inside after 66 minutes. Things really hotted up in the last six minutes when Frain scored at the corner and Stephenson goaled before adding a penalty after Frain was adjudged to have been fouled in the act of scoring, then just a couple of minutes later Wright added his third try and Stephenson added his fourth goal to tie the game. Dec Tomlinson went for a long drop goal attempt but Saddleworth were able to bring the ball away and when Kelvin Ojeaburu broke and found Neild in support, he raced in and Whitehead completed the 34-28 win the goal to move Saddleworth out of the drop zone with a trip to relegation rivals Myton coming up on Saturday.
By Dave Parkinson.
