Duboulay’s boot ensures Beverley overcome loss of key forwards

National Three NorthBeverley 21 Chester 9Despite the absence through injury of their inspirational flanker David Worrall, Beverley produced their best display of the season to overcome a very good Chester side who had suffered only four previous defeats this season.

Beverley started strongly and took the lead after only two minutes with a penalty from fly-half Phil Duboulay.

Centre Lloyd Hayes levelled the scores with a penalty for Chester but Beverley deservedly regained the lead on 10 minutes with a well-executed try by flanker Craig Hancock which Duboulay converted.

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Hayes reduced the arrears to 10-6 with another penalty but Beverley stretched further ahead with a try by full-back Richard Bussey following a lovely break in midfield by Duboulay, who added the conversion.

Chester trailed 15-6 at the interval but took the game strongly to Beverley after the break.

Hayes kicked a third penalty and Chester fought hard to get the converted try that would have given them the lead.

Beverley were hampered throughout the second half by the loss through injury of key forwards Fraley Hopa and Rob Marsdon and they lost the momentum of their sparkling first-half play.

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But they mounted a rearguard action to keep Chester out and two further late penalties by Duboulay turned it into a comfortable victory.

Altrincham Kersal 18 Bradford & Bingley 23

FOR a third successive occasion, Bradford and Bingley’s match was decided in stoppage time.

Martin Whitcombe’s men have clinched a last-gasp victory in two of these games and had only been a mis-hit drop-goal away in their previous game.

This time, the crucial score came from Joe Fawcett as the Bees managed to scramble over the home line.

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Although the Wagon Lane men are not firing on all cylinders they find themselves fourth in the division with every possibility of a top-three finish by the end of the season – Rossendale being the only team above them who they have to face over the last nine games.

Whitcombe claimed after Saturday’s victory: “A few months ago we would have lost that game. We had some key men unavailable but the squad we are putting together now means we can have every faith in the lads that step in.

“I think that is summarised by the contribution of Joe Fawcett; he has been superb filling in for Tom Cokell, but he came off the bench, made possibly the best tackle of the game and was there at the right time to get the score for us right at the death.”

The Bees took the lead through two penalties from Gavin Stead in the first 15 minutes.

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The home side were clearly much improved on the one which capitulated to the tune of 50 points earlier in the season and they edged in front with a penalty followed by a try from stand-off Rob Holloway just past the half-hour mark.

The Bees were perhaps fortunate that a score from Steve Brimacombe restored their lead right on the stroke of half-time.

Stead’s conversion gave the visitors a five-point cushion but they could only hold onto the lead for 10 minutes.

Kersal reclaimed it when Dylan Ogrady crossed. Holloway increased the Kersal lead with another penalty and it looked likely that the home side would claim the win until the Bees forwards battled upfield with subsitute Fawcett dotting down.

North One (East)

Old Brodelians 19 Middlesbrough 20

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OLD Brodleians came agonisingly close to claiming the spoils against third-placed Middlesbrough, doing enough to gain a bonus point.

After a heavy reverse the last time out at Percy Park, this was a markedly improved performance but the Brods remain desperate to get back on the winning trail.

Although the high-flying visitors took an early lead with a converted try, there were long periods when the game looked to be going Brodleians’ way.

They reduced the arrears with Danny Wood’s penalty and came within a whisker of taking the lead. A sweeping move from a break by Rob Jennings should have ended in a try but the ball was put to ground from the final pass. Instead, the home side had to settle for a penalty by Wood, to leave just a point in it at half-time.

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Wood’s superb kick from 40 metres put his side in front at 9-7 and the lead became 16-7 when, from a four-on-three situation, top handling allowed substitute winger Ian Mallard to score and Wood converted from wide.

Back came Middlesbrough with a dominant 10-minute spell that saw them regain the lead. Using the forwards as a platform, they scored a converted try in the corner. Then two successive penalties saw them lead 20-16 with 10 minutes remaining.

Wood brought his side back within a point with his fifth successful kick but two further penalty attempts, from 40 metres, narrowly missed the target.

Wheatley Hills 52 Gateshead 16

Second-placed Wheatley, after edging into a 19-16 lead at half-time, made it one-way traffic after the turnround.

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The interval score did not reflect the pattern of play, Gateshead having gone ahead with the first of their three penalties and then intercepting from the halfway line to score between the posts.

The visitors opened the scoring with a penalty from full-back Scott Cartner but Wheatley immediately took play upfield for centre Mike Hayward to score.

Cartner’s second penalty put Gateshead back in front at 6-5, but Wheatley then underlined their superiority when scrum-half Ian Barker dummied past the defence and ran 50 yards to score by the posts, Jack Craswell adding the conversion.

Then came Gateshead’s interception, which ended with centre Martyn Heelbeck touching down between the posts. Cartner converted, and his third penalty put the visitors back into the lead.

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With three minutes of the first half remaining, Barker raced through for his second try, Craswell again adding the points.

Craswell also converted when full-back Jonathan Woodcock crossed between the posts four minutes into the second half, but he was wide after charging down an attempted kick for touch and went over wide out on the wing.

After the ball had gone across the Wheatley line, right winger Ryan Richardson drew the defence and passed inside to Woodcock, who again touched down by the posts.

Craswell converted and was on target again when, from a five-metre scrum in front of the posts, No 8 Byron Elliot grounded the ball.

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Evergreen Dave Scully, who had come on 10 minutes earlier as a replacement at wing forward, scored the final try.

Old Crossleyans 21 Percy Park 15

DEPLETED Old Crossleyans survived the heavy frost to record a much-needed home victory over Percy Park.

The hosts had gone seven games without a win and with a number of regular first teamers absent they caused an upset.

Ed Cockroft’s penalty gave Crossleyans an early lead and further successful kicks from the scrum-half put them 9-0 up before a moment of magic arrived just before half-time.

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A loose ball was collected in his own 22 by Cockroft, who set off on a tantalising run. After eluding the onrushing defence he scurried down the wing and cut back inside before crossing the line with a would-be tackler hanging on.

The conversion extended the half-time lead to 16-0, but the visitors crossed three minutes after the break.

Six minutes later, centre Jack Hammond’s long pass to full-back Leigh Thomas brought a second try for the hosts.

Park chipped away three points before the pressure told with 10 minutes remaining and they added a converted try. However, a defence marshalled by captain James Wainwright, playing in an unaccustomed central role, held firm to claim an unexpected and crucial victory.

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