Worrall and Duboulay make toothless Tigers pay in derby

After drawing a blank at West Hartlepool a week earlier, Sheffield Tigers were again shut out as they suffered their fourth consecutive league defeat.

Tigers made numerous mistakes, and their ponderous pack were no match for Beverley's solid forwards despite the visitors having their first taste of competitive rugby for six weeks.

Beverley went ahead after 10 minutes when their captain and flanker Dave Worrall touched down for the only try of the match, converted by Phil Duboulay.

The only further points came from penalties by Duboulay after 18, 25 and 45 minutes as the scoring was completed by half-time.

Tigers were unable to get on terms after the turn round, and the Dore Moor side have slipped to fifth place in the table following Penrith's bonus-point win against Rossendale.

The Tigers are also just three points clear of Beverley.

Middlesbrough 12

West Hartlepool 3

AFTER their unexpected win over the Tigers the previous week, joint bottom club West Hartlepool were brought down to earth as Middlesbrough proved to be the better side in a dour game decided by penalties.

With conditions sticky underfoot, there were few try-scoring opportunities, although in the closing stages of the game Middlesbrough were pressing the visitors' line only to be thwarted by the difficult handling conditions.

The home side went ahead after 15 minutes when fly-half Simon O'Farrell, back after a lengthy absence because of injury, kicked the first of his four penalties.

He added another when Hartlepool pulled down a loose maul, although the visitors came back a minute later with a penalty by O'Farrell's opposite number Paul Moss.

O'Farrell added a third penalty on the stroke of half-time, and the only further score in a more even second half came when O'Farrell landed a penalty in the 59th minute.

Middlesbrough, still struggling to get out of the bottom half of the league, were heartened by the return of O'Farrell, who had enjoyed a run-out with the second team the previous week.

They also welcomed back to the fray hooker Richard Horton, who had only played once since the beginning of the season, and Carl Kirwin, who has also returned to the back row after recovering from a broken shoulder.

Middlesbrough, too, will have their eyes on Tigers' fifth place, being only five points behind them.