Middlesbrough take their eyes off the ball and Beverley slump

Rossendale 17

LEADING 16-3 with just two minutes remaining, Middlesbrough took their foot off the gas too soon against Lancashire rivals Rossendale, conceding two late tries and slumping to a home defeat in National Three North on Saturday afternoon.

Middlesbrough had led throughout the match and seemed destined for a morale-boosting victory over their rivals, but snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and had to be content with a losing bonus point.

Wing forward Rory Duff scored after just three minutes, opening Middlesbrough's account after a good team move, and full-back Callum Campbell kicked the conversion.

With half-time approaching, Rossendale were caught offside and Campbell was on target with the extras to put his side 10-0 ahead.

Rossendale finally opened their account shortly after when, with Middlesbrough penalised for going over the top of the ball, fly-half James Bramhall kicked a fine penalty.

Nevertheless, Middlesbrough remained in control and Campbell added another penalty on 43 minutes to put the hosts 13-3 ahead.

Winger Jack Burcham kicked a drop goal on 68 minutes to extend their lead, Rossendale having kicked straight into his hands while defending their line.

But Rossendale were not done just yet.

Scrum-half Jamie Albinson touched down on 78 minutes, Birchall converting, and he added the conversion once again following an 82nd minute try from Birchall who picked up a lose ball and skipped in from 20 yards out to help give his side the win.

Birkenhead Park 31

Beverley 12

A moment of carelessness 20 minutes from full-time ended any chance of a Beverley victory and in the end they were well beaten by hosts Birkenhead Park.

Beverley started strongly but had nothing to show for 10 minutes of total dominance.

Full-back Dave Hall put Birkenhead into the lead with a penalty as the home side came back into it and they went further ahead with a try from prop Martin O'Keefe which Hall converted.

Both sides were playing expansive running rugby and Beverley deservedly struck back with a try from makeshift winger James McKay which was converted by fly-half Phil Duboulay.

Ahead 10-7 at the interval and with their heavy pack dominating play, Birkenhead mounted increasing pressure on the Beverley line.

Fine defensive work by Beverley kept them out until 20 minutes from time when Beverley made a mess of their own throw at a lineout and gave away a scrum from which Hall ran almost unopposed through the Beverley defence for a converted try to take them to 17-7.

Now two scores behind, Beverley lost their early momentum and increasingly gave away possession through basic errors as they strove to fight back.

Birkenhead increased their lead with two tries from substitute prop Joe Pollard both converted by Hall before Beverley flanker Dale Hodgson made a powerful break in midfield to set up a late consolation try for Beverley skipper David Worrall.

Lymm 38

Sandal 17

Sandal paid the price for a poor first-half display, giving themselves far too much of a task to try and catch third-placed Lymm.

Having conceded an early try, Sandal got on the board with a penalty from fly-half Greg Wood but from then on they simply didn't threaten, allowing the hosts to rack-up a 26-3 lead by half-time.

Sandal were guilty of making poor decisions with their kicking game and ended up shipping a further converted try early in the second half.

They finally got their game together but tries from centre Danny Mitchell and prop James Purcell, both converted by Wood were too little, too late.

Lymm deservedly had the final word with the last move of the game, rounding off the scoring with a try.

Bradford and Bingley 48

Billingham 5

The bees cantered to victory with five second-half tries over a tired looking Billingham side.

The home side should have had the victory wrapped up in the first quarter such was their early dominance but a succession of poorly-executed passes meant the visitors were still very much in the game at half-time at 15-5 when territory and possession probably indicated the home side should have been on top by 20 or 30 points.

They did, however, dominate after the break to win 48-5.

Malvern 20

Sheffield Tigers 22

Sheffield Tigers pulled clear of their rivals when they snatched the win with a last-minute converted try to move into the top half of the Midlands league.

Tigers opened the scoring after 12 minutes with an unconverted try by tight-head prop Sam Lockwood, but Malvern turned round 7-5 ahead when, despite having second-row Matt Walker in the sin-bin at the time, right winger Nick Miller raced over for a try in the 25th minute which Tom Longley converted.

Straight from the break the Malvern full-back made a poor clearance kick and Tigers No 8 Gregor Hayter gathered the ball near halfway.

He passed to right winger Francis Denny, who outpaced his opposite number to touch down under the posts for a try which Johnny West converted to put Tigers 12-7 in front.

A period of pressure by Malvern resulted in scrum-half Peter White scoring close to the posts eight minutes later. Winger Matt Jones, who had taken over the kicking, converted to put the home side back in front at 14-12.

Malvern had a long period on top, but Tigers managed to get up into the home 22 for West to kick a drop goal, putting them back in front by a single point.

Malvern spent most of the remainder of the game camped in Tigers' half, and restored their margin with a penalty by Jones on 74 minutes.

When Tigers gave away a penalty in front of the posts, Jones put them 20-15 ahead with two minutes of normal time remaining, and the game looked out of Tigers' grasp.

However, when Malvern kicked the ball into the corner, Joe Wright made an excellent break up the right and passed to full-back Jon Feeley and, from a ruck, centre Jimmy Pearson beat his man to touch down under the posts, giving West a simple task with the winning conversion.