Boro are forced into a relegation battle as Beverley leapfrog rivals

The East Yorkshire side leap-frogged their rivals on the back of the win, while Sandal’s win over high-flying Bradford and Bingley saw them overtake Middlesbrough, too, leaving the North East outfit in third from bottom place.

Beverley winger Goran Gelencic opened the visitors’ account after just three minutes with a soft try on the back of Middlesbrough errors.

Although the conversion was missed, Glen Waldron, on the opposite wing, ran in to make it 10-0 to the visitors, this time the try being deserved after some good play.

Middlesbrough tightened up defensively and stemmed the flow of early Beverley tries, but they found themselves 13-0 down at half-time with full-back Phil Dale kicking a penalty on the half-hour after Middlesbrough had been penalised for not rolling away.

After the break, the home side finally opened their account with full-back Simon Moore kicking penalties on 50 and 58 minutes, and, at 13-6, they were back in with a realistic chance of claiming victory.

But Waldron added a second try on 68 minutes for Beverley, Dale converting for a 20-6 lead, and the visitors secured the bonus point with Waldron completing his hat-trick of tries in the 76th minute, Dale again adding the conversion.

Middlesbrough scored a consolation try in stoppage time through Simon Moore, but it was too late to challenge their rivals.

Rochdale are bottom on eight points but next-to-bottom Billingham are only four points behind Middlesbrough on 43 but have played two games more.

Beverley are three points clear of Middlesbrough after their ninth win of the season but have played a game more.

Sheffield Tigers, still within striking distance of a top-three placing in National Three Midlands, left it late to see off a challenge from mid-table hosts Luton.

Tigers were 14-12 down as the game went into its last minute but they drove the opposition back for flanker Andy Barnes to crash over for a try. Johnny West converted with the last kick of the match.

After a late kick-off because Tigers’ coach was held up on the M1, the visitors took the lead when centre Callum MacKenzie raced over for a try in the 24th minute.

Luton edged in front seven minutes later when flanker Mike Weston touched down for a try which Joe Murphy converted, but Tigers turned round 17-12 ahead after winger Jamie Clarke had raced over for a try which West converted.

There was no further score until the 70th minute of the game when Luton prop Joe Lynch fought his way over for a try which Murphy converted.

Tigers, who won 25-7 on their own ground in February, looked doomed to have the table turned against them until their late pressure was rewarded in the nick of time.