Huddersfield maintain pressure as Otley denied by leaders at death

The Maroons dominated the first half and led 13-3 at half-time with a drop-goal and two penalties from fly-half Mark Chester, followed by a pick and go which ended with No 8 Brandon Hannam touching down and Chester adding the goal.

Stockport went on the attack in the second half but initially could only turn their possession into two penalties.

As the clock went into the red, it looked as though the Maroons had done enough for victory but a scrum offence produced the penalty try and the conversion proved enough to steal the points.

Huddersfield maintained the pressure on the front-runners with a comprehensive 43-12 win at home to Firwood Waterloo.

The hosts went 12-0 down after conceding two quick tries.

However, they were ahead 
17-12 by half-time thanks to tries from hooker James Davis and winger Thomas Van Rooyan and two conversions and a penalty by full-back Tom Hodson.

The second half was one-way traffic with dominant scrummaging earning two successive penalty tries before prop Alex Batty and winger Elliott Hodgson completed the scoring.

Bradford and Bingley gave their survival hopes a much-needed injection of life with a 
32-20 win over Beverley.

Playing with the wind at their backs, mid-table Beverley took the lead when Phil Duboulay fed James Holland under the posts.

Opportunism from James Morton and Richard Scull punished Beverley mistakes and gave the Bees a lead they would never relinquish.

After Dubouley and Scull traded penalties Bradford and Bingley had a 15-10 lead at the break that they stretched further with another Scull penalty and a converted try by James Tafa from an interception.

Tonci Buzov crossed for ther visitors but another interception by Morton – after a long delay while Beverley hooker Alex Keeton was taken to hospital with a neck injury – led to a second and clinching try by the Bees’ Scull.

Alex Ogilvie crossed for a late consolation try for Beverley.

Bradford and Bingley are now within one win of climbing out of the relegation zone.

Sandal made it five wins in six with a 27-14 on their travels to Penrith.

Austen Thompson, Luke Norbury, Simon Frewin and a penalty try ensured they earned maximum points. James Ellar fleshed out the scored with two conversions and a penalty.

Sandal stay fourth, 14 points adrift of leaders Stockport and 13 behind Huddersfield, who have two games in hand on their Lancashire rivals.