Bank Top Harriers 34, Crigglestone All Blacks 4
Two first-half tries from second-row forward Jonny Waddington guaranteed Bank Top Harriers a well-earned victory against a plucky Crigglestone All Blacks outfit in the second round of the Pennine President's Cup at Lidget Green.
Bank Top survived an early scare when the Wakefield centre Andy Stanton dropped the ball with the line at his mercy.
But they hit back immediately, only to see hooker James Banks unable to ground the ball correctly on their first attack down the slope, and it was proving to be a difficult task against the lively visitors, who arrived with just 13 men.
But Harriers went in front when Scotland full back Finlay Lamont produced a stunning 40-metre weaving run to set up field position and, when the ball was spread out wide, centre Mark Bailey brought second-row forward Scot Haley steaming onto a short inside pass to crash over the whitewash for the opener, leaving stand-off Bob Brown to slot over the extras.
The All Blacks came within inches of levelling matters from a kick and chase before the hosts went further in front when Waddington popped up on the wing to dive over in the corner.
The best move of the match came on the stroke of half-time when the colossal Lamont collected the ball from a kick and set off once more like a bullet down the touchline.
He deftly side-stepped the hosts' water-carrier, who was lingering on the field, to find Waddington on his shoulder, who then sprinted 40 metres to the posts.
Brown landed the simple conversion to send Bank Top into the break 16-0 ahead.
Crigglestone needed a good restart but it was the Harriers who posted a killer blow when Bailey used his bulk to barge his way to the chalk.
The visitors claimed a consolation effort when a neat grubber beat the hosts' sliding defence, leaving wingman Joe Meachy to pounce.
But it was all to no avail when Harriers wingman Mike Hustler grabbed a half-chance to sprint over in the opposite corner.
The Bank Top tackling took its toll, with the All Blacks reduced to 12 men through injury, and when scrum half Carl Brian went over for a converted try at the side of the posts, referee Andy Mellor decided it was game set and match and brought the game to an end ten minutes early.
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