Warriors snatch win after late, late show

HEAD UP . . . Darren Nixon, of Waterhead Warriors, takes a peek at the back of a scrum. PICTURES by TIM BRADLEY

RUGBY: A LAST-GASP try from Luke Du Feu and Jamie Mayall’s conversion snatched a thrilling 22-20 victory for Waterhead Warriors over Crosfields.

The result, against mid-table opponents, lifted the Peach Road club off the bottom of Kingstone Press National Conference League Division Three.

Waterhead were four points adrift of Crosfields with only seconds remaining when Du Feu made his match-winning move.

Terry Fitzgerald was the stand-out performer — he ran the show in the middle of the park — as the home side gained only their second two-point haul of the season.

Crosfields took the lead through a Declan Clarke touchdown in the 10th minute, but a Darren Nixon try and Mayall goal put Waterhead in front.

The visitors were back in the ascendancy moments before the break, though, as Jack Reid converted his own score.

Back came Waterhead with a try from replacement Chris Brown three minutes after the restart, only for Jack Gibbins to reply for Crosfields.

Mayall’s try and conversion was cancelled out by John Whittaker’s 67-minute effort, goaled by Reid.

Then, with the time almost up, Du Feu dived in and Mayall kept his cool to the delight of the home supporters.



ANOTHER poor start from a hesitant Saddleworth Rangers team saw them slip to a 40-12 defeat at NCL Division One high-fliers Normanton Knights.

Craig Farrimond’s men were chasing a losing cause at the interval — they trailed 28-0 — but heads didn’t go down in the second half.

The basement side was 16 points adrift after only 11 minutes as James Evans, Adrian Mulcahy and Richard Blakeway dived in. Mulcahy kicked two goals.

Stuart Biscomb and Connor Wilson made it five tries for the hosts before the break, both goaled by Mulcahy, who added two more to his tally after the restart.

Rangers got on the board when Josh Bradbury, the visitors’ man-of-the-match, went over in the 49th minute. Ben Whitehead landed the conversion.

The Liam Hall/Whitehead combination doubled Rangers’ tally with 10 minutes remaining, but not before Paul Seal and Biscomb had increased Normanton’s lead.



OLDHAM St Anne’s were without a fixture in NCL Division Two.