Replacement prop Kirkwood claims crucial try for Beverley

National Three North/Midlands

Beverley 34 Billingham 29

BEVERLEY scraped home in a thrilling encounter during which the lead changed hands six times.

The East Yorkshire side took the lead with a try by winger Anthony Spence after five minutes, but within 10 minutes Billingham were 10-5 up through tries by scrum-half Andy Evans and centre Will Turnbull.

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Beverley’s cause was not helped by indiscipline and a sin-binning for fly-half Junior Tupai during which winger Craig Shepherd added a third try for Billingham.

The home side hit back with two penalties by full-back Phil Dale and a try in the corner by winger Glen Walden to give them a 16-15 lead at half-time.

Five minutes after the break, full-back Peter Evans kicked a penalty and Billingham were two points ahead again.

Captain David Worrall, who was at the heart of everything Beverley did, was involved in four of their five tries. He went over to restore Beverley’s lead and then set up an attack leading to a try for fly-half Tupai.

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In between, Billingham briefly recaptured the lead with a try by prop Dixon when Beverley made a mess of a lineout in their own 22.

Substitute prop Manu Kirkwood put Beverley two scores ahead with a fifth try only for Evans to reduce the deficit to a single try with a penalty. In a frantic finish, both sides fought for the victory but the only further scores were a penalty apiece for Dale and Evans

Sandal 8 Chester 22

Sandal were left staring a run of four consecutive defeats in the face despite not conceding a point to Chester in the first half.

The defeat leaves Sandal looking over their shoulders, one of a group of five teams separated by only three points above bottom club Rochdale.

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The hosts made a fine start with a penalty from fly-half Greg Wood and then a try by winger Dave Martin seeing them into the interval with an 8-0 lead. The second half was a different story as Sandal began to struggle with the pace of their high-flying opposition.

The visitors pulled back to within a point with a converted try before taking the lead with a penalty. A well-worked score saw them take the ball wide to extend their lead to 15-8 before their third effort, converted, rounded off the scoring in the final 10 minutes.

Penrith 21 Middlesbrough 22

LEADING by 15 points with 10 minutes remaining, Middlesbrough survived a late fightback by the hosts.

The game was marred by an early injury to Penrith wing forward Gareth Hodgson which led it being stopped for 50 minutes while an air ambulance was called.

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Once the players came back out, it was Middlesbrough who edged ahead with centre Simon O’Farrell touching down on 32 minutes and full-back Simon Moore kicking the conversion.

After the break, Moore added a penalty but Penrith hit back with No 8 Mike Raine scoring and Steve Wood converting.

Middlesbrough extended their lead with wing forward Rory Duff touching down on 68 minutes and Moore converting. When scrum-half and captain Peter Wright crashed over with 10 minutes to go, their 22-7 lead looked to be enough for the win.

Penrith made it close, however, with two converted tries in the closing stages from fly-half Wood and prop Andrew Irving.

Stockport 20 Bradford & Bingley 13

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STOCKPORT were confirmed as champions but the Bees hung on to second spot in National Three North despite losing their fourth game in five outings.

Martin Whitcombe’s men hold a two-point advantage over Chester, who have a game in hand and there was much to savour in the Bees performance that bodes well for whichever division they start next season.

Stockport looked the better side for much of the first half, but for long periods in the second it was the visitors who enjoyed an upper hand.

Whitcombe stated when he took charge in October that he wanted to build a squad which could be together for several years and the best way of achieving that would be to push youngsters through as soon as the coaching staff thought they were ready.

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Saturday’s squad contained eight under 22 and two, in Aiden Scully and James Brown, who qualify to play at Under-19 level.

The initial exchanges were dominated by a physical Stockport but errors prevented them scoring until the 25th minute through Nick Smith.

Although the Bees lost Grant Litt to a shoulder injury, Giles Hetherington and Steve Brimacombe enjoyed some space in midfield and a couple of half-chances went begging.

James Holland brought a direct approach as he moved to the centre to cover for Litt and it was 8-3 just before the break when Stockport winger James Drew struck.

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Hetherington’s kicks to the corners after the interval got the Bees into excellent field position. Captain Guy Ford’s forceful runs also troubled the hosts and Bees’ pressure was rewarded with try in the corner from Tom Gough, who followed up a chip from Hetherington. Gavin Stead’s conversion made it 13-10 but Stockport regrouped and Tom Cruse scored with 10 minutes left.

Stead, Scully, Brimacombe and Holland made breaks but for all their endeavour, the Bees could only claim another penalty from Stead to pull within seven to claim the losing bonus point.

Sheffield Tigers 74 Peterborough 7

Sheffield Tigers ran in 11 tries in their National Three Midlands encounter.

A hat-trick of tries from left-winger Callum Mackenzie and two each from centre Tom Outram, scrum-half Alex Drage and second-row Gregor Hayter underpinned the victory, which leaves Tigers fourth.

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Stand-off Jonny West kicked an early penalty and he then converted tries from Mackenzie and Hayter to help Tigers to an early 17-0 lead.

Centre Tom Outram’s 24th-minute try was also converted, and Drage’s 31st-minute score gave Tigers the bonus point.

Outram bagged his second on 36 minutes, West converting, and Hayter added his second in first half stoppage-time to put Tigers 41-0 ahead at the break.

Mackenzie touched down on 50 minutes, West converting, as he did following a 55th-minute try from right-winger Gareth Morley.

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Mackenzie’s hat-trick came on the hour mark, but hopes of a clean sheet were dashed when Peterborough’s Arthur Balcumius scored and Duncan Low converted.

Tigers hooker Ali Thomson scored on 70 minutes, West converting this and he also added the extras when Drage scored his second try with five minutes remaining.

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