Beverley and Middlesbrough left facing relegation battles

National Three North/Midlands

Beverley 10 Birkenhead Park 34

BEVERLEY went down to a disappointing defeat which leaves them on the verge of getting drawn into a relegation battle.

Birkenhead took the lead after four minutes with a try between the posts from prop Martin O’Keefe which was converted by winger David Hall.

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The big visiting pack always posed a danger and they were instrumental in setting up a penalty for Hall and a converted try for centre Gregory Hughes.

Hall’s penalty took Birkenhead 20 points clear before Beverley were thrown a lifeline on the stroke of half-time with a try from winger Goran Jelencic.

Five minutes into the second half, Beverley were right back in it with a lovely 40-metre try by centre Junior Tupai, which reduced the deficit to 20-10.

The home side then assumed control but they lost possession in an attacking position on the visiting 22-yard line and Birkenhead raced away for a converted try by centre Freeman Payne to settle the result.

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Although the Beverley pack provided plenty of good possession their back line could make little of it and the game petered out as Hall chipped ahead and gathered a lucky bounce to round things off with a final try for Birkenhead. Hall’s conversion left him with a 100 per cent successful kicking afternoon and a haul of 19 points.

Rossendale 23 Middlesbrough 14

MIDDLESBROUGH’S relegation worries were compounded at Rossendale despite a strong second half performance which saw them outscore their rivals.

Still second-bottom, the North East side found themselves 16-0 down at half-time, but hit back with two converted tries in the second period.

Stand-off James Bramhall was in good kicking form for Rossendale and he slotted penalties on 18 and 22 minutes.

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Another followed on 33 minutes, and five minutes later No 8 Pat Pole touched down and Bramhall converted to put Rossendale 16-0 ahead at the break.

Nine minutes into the second half, Middlesbrough sparked into life with centre Paul Norris touching down and full-back Simon Moore adding the extras.

Eight minutes later, Middlesbrough closed to within two points when stand-off Callum Campbell crashed over, Moore adding the extras.

Hopes of a comeback victory were dashed with Pole touching down for Rossendale and Bramhall adding the conversion to leave Middlesbrough without even the losing bonus point they deserved.

Sandal 15 Lymm 23

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Sandal put on an unconvincing display and allowed Lymm to reduce the gap between them in the table to just two points.

The hosts took the initiative, fly-half Greg Wood slotting a penalty and then scoring a try.

Sandal seemed to switch off after that and never drove home their advantage. Lymm came back into it scoring two tries and proving accurate with their kicking to overcome the deficit and lead 18-8 at the break.

They stretched their advantage to 15 points before Sandal could pull themselves back into it, though it was not until the final 10 minutes when they managed a breakthrough, Wood scoring and converting.

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Sandal had a chance to earn a bonus point with the last kick of the game but their penalty attempt drifted agonisingly wide.

Sheffield Tigers 37 Malvern 0

SHEFFIELD Tigers ran in six tries on their way to a convincing demolition of visitors Malvern at a cold and wind-swept Dore Moor in National Three Midlands.

Tigers, who still harbour hopes of scraping into the promotion play-off and even taking the title, faced a determined Malvern defence in the first half, as well as having a strong wind in their faces.

Consequently, they were only ahead by 8-0, with stand-off Jonny West kicking a penalty on 25 minutes, and full-back Jon Feeley touching down five minutes before the break.

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But after the break, Tigers finally got the measure of their rivals and helped by the wind, ran in a further five tries to secure the bonus point victory.

Simon Bunting touched down just four minutes after the interval, and fellow prop Anthony Ross also scored a try seven minutes later as Tigers went 18-0 ahead, with conversions proving difficult in the conditions.

Wing-forward Andy Barnes added his name to the scoresheet on 55 minutes, and replacement prop Charlie Cone’s 66th-minute try was converted by Jonny West as the scoreboard ticked over to 30-0.

Finally, replacement stand-off Joe Wright scored a try on 73 minutes which West converted.

Billingham 22 Bradford & Bingley 20

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The Bees hang on to second place in National Three North despite taking just seven points from a possible 20 in their last four games.

The Bees have been fortunate that chief rivals Chester have also faltered badly in the last few weeks and the meeting between the sides on March 19, which is sandwiched between both sides playing league leaders Stockport, looks like it will be the game which decides who goes into the promotion play-offs against a side from National 3 Midlands.

The Bees looked asleep in the first 20 minutes and the home side took a deserved lead with a penalty on 13 minutes followed by a try a minute later.

Martin Whitcombe had gone for experience in his selection and with Grant Litt at scrum-half supported by Phil Greaves, who had Steve Brimacombe and Stuart Dixon outside him, there should have been enough nous in the middle of the field for the visitors to take contro.

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It was 30 minutes into the game before the Bees were able to establish any kind of mark. James Holland was first to benefit as he crossed on 32 minutes, followed five minutes later by captain Ryan Wederall, who was last up from a pile of Bees forwards. With Gavin Stead tacking on both conversions, it looked like the Bees were on top at 14-10.

The lead was short-lived as the home side were first on the scoreboard five minutes into the second half. A penalty on 50 minutes saw the Bees edge back into the lead at 17-15 but they continued to struggle to establish any real pattern.

With 15 minutes left, Stead’s penalty gave the Bees a five-point advantage but five minutes from time a converted try restored Billingham’s advantage, leaving the Bees battling the clock.

Billingham stood firm but finally conceded a penalty 45 metres out.

Gavin Stead lined up the shot at goal but skewed his effort to the right of the upright, leaving the Bees with only the consolation of a losing bonus point to take back to Wagon Lane.