Try treble before half-time kills off Bradford Dudley Hill

Bradford Dudley Hill matched Wigan St Judes’ five-try haul but a lack of concentration before the half- time whistle gave them a mountain to climb in the second stanza.

Hill made a dream start when player-coach Mick Hill floated a high kick into the corner, wingman Gavin Mezals outjumping the defence to plant the ball at the flag.

However, soft defence contributed to the hosts levelling matters when their hooker spotted a narrow gap to squeeze over.

Hill hit the front once more when second-row forward Willy Woodhead produced a cut-out pass to send wingman Simon Sewell sprinting to the corner, and he made sure of a full reward with a towering conversion from the touchline side.

The Wigan outfit are a class side who are renowned for their attacking prowess, and they lived up to their formidable reputation by striking three killer blows in succession, one of which was a length-of-the-field special straight from a restart, all of which were converted.

A shell-shocked Hill were stunned to be trailing 22-10 at the break, and things did not improve on the resumption when they conceded a penalty.

Mick Hill led the comeback, sending substitute Jamie Steward to the chalk, and Sewell added the extras before Judes increased the deficit once more.

Packman Bolu Fagboran went over out wide before a late effort from Sewell saw him claim his brace but the damage had been done, leaving no time to press the hosts further.

Hill thus had to reflect on a narrow defeat that puts them in fifth place in the National Conference League Division One table, three points adrift of leaders Hunslet Warriors.