National Three North/Midlands: Opening wins for Beverley and Sandal but Middlesbrough pay price for a slow start

BEVERLEY got their season off to a fine start with a good win over a young and lively Waterloo side.

The East Yorkshire outfit started the stronger and should have made better use of their greater early possession. In the wearing heat, both sides showed plenty of endeavour and played an expansive game but all that separated the sides at half time were two penalties by fly-half Phil Duboulay for Beverley to one for full-back James O'Brien of Waterloo.

However, in the second half Beverley steadily got on top and increased their lead with a well-worked try from centre Sam Atiola who touched down a cleverly angled chip from Duboulay following some sustained Beverley pressure.

Waterloo fought back strongly but the result was virtually settled 10 minutes from time when scrum-half Chris Infield intercepted a loose Waterloo pass and touched down under the posts. Duboulay's simple conversion put Beverley

18-3 ahead and the result realistically beyond doubt. The visitors responded strongly in the dying minutes but a second penalty by O'Brien and a late consolation try by wing forward Dan Palmer was all they had to show for a determined finish.

Birkenhead Park 18

Sandal 25

Alex Orr grabbed two tries as Sandal made a deserved winning start to the season in what was an entertaining game.

Flanker Sean Maguire put them on their way with an early try with Greg Wood adding the conversion and a penalty.

The home side fought back to 10-10 at the break but sustained Sandal pressure early in the second half saw winger Orr go over in the corner.

Park came back to within two points but once again Orr struck and Wood dropped a goal to give his side a 10-point cushion.

The hosts landed a penalty 15 minutes from time to get within a converted try but it was Sandal who looked more likely to add to their score rounding off a confident start on the front foot.

Lymm 27

Middlesbrough 26

Lymm, promoted from North One West, made their intentions clear but were helped by a hesitant performance from Middlesbrough, who scored their only two tries in the last 20 minutes.

In contrast, Lymm were quick off the mark, going ahead after just three minutes when flanker Dan Malarkey crashed over for a try converted by Jack Johnstone.

Simon O'Farrell, the Middlesbrough fly-half, kicked first a penalty and then a drop goal to put the visitors to within a point after 17 minutes, but Lymm soon went clear again when Johnstone converted a try by their full-back Joe Knowles.

A penalty from Johnstone was matched two minutes later by O'Farrell, but on the stroke of half time Johnstone slotted over another to put the hosts 20-9 ahead at the break.

They increased their lead 10 minutes into the second half when centre Dave Williamson touched down for a try which Johnstone converted, and it was only then that Middlesbrough started to play the sort of rugby which could have won the game.

After O'Farrell had pulled back another penalty he was on target with the conversion when scrum-half Peter Wright crashed over for the visitors' first try on 62 minutes, and five minutes later full-back Callum Campbell ran in another try and O'Farrell again added the points.

With seven minutes left on the clock Middlesbrough continued to press but were denied the winning points, returning home with just a bonus point to show from their opening league match.

South Leicester 36

Sheffield Tigers 17

SHEFFIELD Tigers were given a tough time in their opening National Division Three (Midlands) fixture, losing out

36-17 to hosts South Leicester.

Following their transfer into the Midlands Division to level up the numbers in the league structure, Tigers had a baptism of fire into the league conceding five tries to a side who finished last season fourth-bottom of the table and who narrowly avoided relegation.

Tigers began poorly and never really recovered from being 24-0 down after just 19 minutes.

South Leicester opened their account through flanker Mike Marsh on six minutes, and stand-off Mark Lord kicked the conversion before adding a penalty, try and conversion of his own. And he was also on target with the extras following full-back Richard Lang's 19th-minute try which threatened to mark the opening of the floodgates. However, Tigers dug in and hit back on 31 minutes, flanker Brandon Hannan scoring their try to narrow the deficit.

After the break, Tigers closed to 24-12 with centre Gareth Morley scoring as try which stand-off Joe Wright converted, but South Leicester were not about to let their lead slip and they restored the gap with Lang's second try, Lord adding the conversion.

A fifth try gave them a 36-12 lead, rendering flanker Callum McKenzie's injury-time try a consolation.

Bradford and Bingley 35

Rossendale 19

THE relegated Bees began their bid to bounce straight back to the national pyramid with a convincing bonus-point victory over Rossendale.

They scored four tries through Adam Sutcliffe with a brace, Guy Ford and Richard Hughes.

Gavin Stead booted three conversions and improved the score with a hat-trick of penalties to take his personal tally for the game to 15 points.