EAST LEEDS are only one win away from lifting the National Conference League’s Third Division title.
The Easy Road outfit remain, after winning 38-20 at DRIGHLINGTON on Saturday, four points clear of second-placed Waterhead, with both teams having three matches still to play.
And, importantly, Easts have a superior points’ difference of nearly 100 points.
Drighlington, whose lingering hopes of making the promotion play-offs vanished with this reverse, were 30-0 down by the half-hour against opponents who travelled with only 15 players, partly to ensure that their `A’ team game with Bentley in the Yorkshire Men’s League went ahead.
That factor, together with the sin-binnings of Andy Djeukessi and, in the last minute, Luke Littlewood, both for dissent, helped the home side recover to only 18 points behind at the close, but Easts were nevertheless fully deserving of a win which involved tries by Regan Dean, Adam Keedy, Ryan Wooffitt, Josh Longbottom, Jordan Russell, Shane Plunkett and Ciaran Edwards, five of which Littlewood improved.
Drig rallied with a Joe Bownass brace, a try and two goals by Michael Sanderson, and a Lucas Hallas touchdown.
HUNSLET CLUB PARKSIDE travelled to West Hull hoping to deny the home side the League Leaders’ Trophy. Wests, though, sealed promotion with a 16-8 win, earned despite having a man sent off early in the second half. Parkside, who stay second, notched an early try by Kieran Murphy and a touchdown in the final quarter for Will Cohen.
OULTON, meanwhile, are in the First Division’s top six, at the expense of STANNINGLEY, courtesy of an 18-6 win over bottom side Myton Warriors in which Will Milner scored a try and three goals and David Jagger and Nathan Waters dotted down. Stanningley, who lost 24-22 at highflying Hull Dockers, registered tries by Daniel Wepener, Joe Phipps, Jake Sykes and, on 74 minutes, Tyler Hart, three of which Tom Flannery improved.
HUNSLET WARRIORS, meanwhile, were unable to raise a team for the Division Two fixture at Clock Face Miners; NCL bosses have treated the game as being postponed.
National Conference League
Premier Division: Leigh Miners Rangers 8, Siddal 38; Lock Lane 98, Egremont Rangers 4; Rochdale Mayfield 20, Pilkington Recs 30; Thornhill Trojans 20, York Acorn 10; Wath Brow Hornets 32, Thatto Heath Crusaders 25; West Hull 16, HUNSLET CLUB PARKSIDE 8.
Division One: Hull Dockers 24, STANNINGLEY 22; Ince Rose Bridge 22, West Bowling 12; Kells 50, Milford 0; OULTON RAIDERS 18, Myton Warriors 6; Saddleworth Rangers 12, Wigan St Patricks 46; Skirlaugh 26, Featherstone Lions 16.
Division Two: Barrow Island 24, Dewsbury Moor Maroons 12; Bradford Dudley Hill 10, Beverley 6; Clock Face Miners v HUNSLET WARRIORS -pp (Warriors unable to raise a team); Wigan St Judes 12, Heworth 48; Woolston Rovers 26, Normanton Knights 22.
Division Three: Batley Boys 15, Waterhead Warriors 23 (walkover result); DRIGHLINGTON 20, EAST LEEDS 38; Eastmoor Dragons 24, Bentley 32; Leigh East 22, Millom 18; Oldham St Annes 44, Hensingham 6; Shaw Cross Sharks 16, Seaton Rangers 18.
Fixtures
Thursday 11 August 2022
Division Three: Shaw Cross Sharks v Waterhead Warriors.
Friday 12 August 2022
Premier Division: Siddal v Thornhill Trojans.
Saturday 13 August 2022
Premier Division: Egremont Rangers v Rochdale Mayfield; HUNSLET CLUB PARKSIDE v Leigh Miners Rangers; Pilkington Recs v Lock Lane; Wath Brow Hornets v West Hull; York Acorn v Thatto Heath Crusaders.
Division One: Milford v Ince Rose Bridge; Myton Warriors v Hull Dockers; OULTON RAIDERS v Saddleworth Rangers; STANNINGLEY v Featherstone Lions; West Bowling v Kells; Wigan St Patricks v Skirlaugh.
Division Two: Beverley v Woolston Rovers; Dewsbury Celtic v Wigan St Judes; Dewsbury Moor Maroons v Bradford Dudley Hill; Heworth v Barrow Island; HUNSLET WARRIORS v Crosfields; Normanton Knights v Clock Face Miners.
Division Three: Bentley v Seaton Rangers; EAST LEEDS v Oldham St Annes; Hensingham v Leigh East; Millom v DRIGHLINGTON.
