Round Up: Last-kick drama as Hayward seals it

Wheatley Hills 22 Malton & Norton 20

WHEATLEY Hills scraped a victory over newcomers Malton and Norton in a thriller at York Road.

Winger Teei Piawi put Malton into an early lead with a penalty but Wheatley hit back with centre Ryan Guest scoring a 25th-minute try after a good move down the line ended with him breaking through the line.

Stand-off Guy Townsley kicked a conversion into the wind to help the home side establish a 7-3 lead.

Townsley added a penalty after the break but the visitors were in no mood to roll over.

Replacement front-row Tom Francis scored on 50 and 54 minutes, both converted by Piawi, as Malton went 17-10 ahead.

But Townsley kicked penalties on 57, 61 and 67 minutes to edge Wheatley back in front, and although Piawi added a penalty, Hills had the last word with Mike Hayward kicking a stoppage-time drop goal which hit the upright and went over.

Cleckheaton 27 Sheffield 18

Cleckheaton registered their first win of the new campaign with a competent five-try display against battling opponents.

Sheffield opened the scoring when wing Alex Hill went over for the first try which was converted by Donal Collins.

Cleckheaton rallied and captain Paul Turner rampaged through to score an excellent individual try which was converted by Iain Gordon.

Further tries prior to the break, from Ross Hayden and Richard Piper, both unconverted, gave the hosts the edge.

A further penalty by Collins meant the game was in the balance at half-time.Sheffield opened the second half brightly and centre Dave McCabe scored his side’s second try beforeCleckheaton reasserted themselves with two further tries from Ryan Piercy and replacement Matt Piper.

Old Brodleians 52 Gateshead 18

JOE Armitage ran in four tries, including a first-half hat-trick, in Old Brodleians’ comprehensive win over Gateshead.

The scrum-half has come through the ranks and it was his try that started it all off in the early stages of a half which ended 38-5 in the hosts’ favour.

Armitage’s trio, alongside a 60-metre interception from winger Matty Hoyle, a try by centre Liam Scott and a 13-point kicking tally from the 18-year-old fly-half Danny Wood simply blew Gateshead away. Armitage’s fourth and one for the forwards in the second half made sure Brods were in no danger, although they will be disappointed by conceding two tries in quick succession.

Northern 24 Old Crossleyans 8

OLD Crossleyans suffered a second straight defeat.

The visitors were soon 7-0 adrift and the score remained the same at half-time.

Another try on 50 minutes, following a forward rush, saw Northern leading 14-0.

Crossleyans pulled back a penalty through Leigh Thomas before more forward power presented a path for centre Alex Clark to power through a crumbling defence for the third.

Winger Joe Baker touched down out wide to make it 19-8, only for more defensive disarray to hand Northern their fourth and final score.

Billingham 33 Middlesbrough 13

MISTAKES cost Middlesbrough dear as they suffered their first defeat of the season.

Despite scoring first through an early penalty from full-back Simon Moore, it proved to be a false dawn as the home side went into a 21-3 lead before Middlesbrough added further points.

Billingham scored tries through centre Andy Hindman, winger Chris Shepherd and full-back Paul Evans, who also added three conversions, to put Billingham 21-3 ahead.

Middlesbrough had a glimmer of hope when scrum-half Peter Wright scored from a short penalty with 10 minutes to go, but the hosts ran away with the game and secured a bonus point with Hindman and his brother and former Northampton player Chris scoring tries. Lee Theakston scored a consolation try for Boro.