Highton hopeful of Waterhead revival

Coach stays positive despite National Cup exit

AMATEUR RUGBY LEAGUE: GARRY Highton remains optimistic his Waterhead side can climb away from the foot of the National Conference League table.

A 27-20 loss at North-West Counties League side Ryland Sharks at the weekend saw the Peach Road outfit exit the BARLA National Cup at the first-round stage.

Another tricky test lies in wait tomorrow night when Folly Lane provide the opposition in the Standard Cup at Saddleworth Rangers ARLFC (7.45pm kick-off).

After that, Waterhead have yet more knock-out action to get stuck into with a Carnegie Challenge Cup tie at home to Egremont on Saturday.

“We played better than in the previous week’s 44-8 loss at Elland and I feel we are getting there,” said Highton, who is having to cope with a host of injuries including Phil Joy (knee), Michael Brown (knee), Lee Melia (hand), Mark Wyatt (hand), Michael Bennett (Achilles) and Matthew Barran (ribs).

“Rylands took the game to us and at 20-20 with 10 minutes to go we had a lapse to let them in.

“It could have gone either way, but I was pleased with the performance after we failed to get off the bus at Elland.”

A late Carl Lloyd try and Andy Rourke conversion, plus a Craig White drop goal, did for Waterhead at Rylands.

Up to then the tie was neck-and-neck. Full-back and visitors’ man-of-the-match Alan Williamson, Matthew Barran and Craig Highton scored tries, with Sean Garrett (three) and Niall Bradley kicking goals in a game which was tied 16-16 at the halfway point.




SADDLEWORTH Rangers let slip a commanding lead at East Hull in the National Conference League Premier Division, a fixture which eventually ended as a 22-22 draw.

Stand-off Michael Coates crossed first and a double from man-of-the-match Jimmy Rogers followed, with one Coates conversion leaving the visitors 14-0 to the good.

Further tries from Danny Adams and Shaun Robinson, plus a Coates penalty, left Saddleworth sitting pretty.

But back roared Easts, first through a double from Lee Roberts and Jamie Edwards, Jordan Precious converting once.

Michael Docherty’s try and a Precious goal reduced the gap to only six points.

And with two minutes left, a Carl Puckering score and Precious conversion saw the game end level.


STANLEY Rangers turned a deficit on its back to run home 30 unanswered points to defeat Oldham St Anne’s 36-22 in Division One.
Saints had raced into a 12-0 lead through tries from Sean Thomas and Jordan White, plus a Kiel Lancashire penalty.

Matty Firth responded for Stanley, but touch downs from David Harris — he raced home from 90 metres — and Connor Karran as well as a Lancashire penalty put Saints 22-6 ahead at half-time.

But three quick-fire tries took Stanley in front by four points and after Dave Baxby crashed home from close range, Danny Grice converted and added a try of his own to complete a comeback which was aided by sin-bin spells for Saints’ Eric Johnson (fighting) and White (dissent) after the break.