West Bowling A 46, Bank Top Harriers 24

The bragging rights belong to West Bowling A as they claimed victory 46-24 against Bank Top Harriers in the big Pennine League Championship Division game yesterday.

The scene was set at Emsley's Rec for an enthralling derby, with a good crowd turning out to watch the sides do battle in the sunshine.

Bowling came out fired up and made their intentions clear early on when prop Ryan Patchett took a short ball to crash over, scrum half Liam Coe adding the extras.

Things got better for Bowling when ill discipline by the Harriers led to stand-off Adam Mitchell being dispatched to the sin bin, although he wasn't to be the last.

The home side took full advantage of the extra man, running in two successive tries. Patchett again proved too powerful for the visitors' defence as he powered over for his second before a neat turn of pace saw winger Dwaine Nelson in at the corner.

Bowling were further ahead on 32 minutes when lovely interplay between centre Jack Dawson and Nelson left the former with a clear run to the line.

The Harriers looked in danger of being over-run but stuck to the task manfully and were rewarded when Mitchell forced his way over from acting half.

A flare-up on the stroke of half-time led to Bowling stand-off Liam Darville taking his turn in the sin- bin but the home side maintained their 22-4 lead.

In the second half, Bowling immediately gave away a number of cheap penalties and the Harriers were quick to capitalise.

A superb pass from Mitchell found Cameron Nelson, who put centre Johnathan Waddington through a gap to score.

Just three minutes later, the Harriers attacked down the right flank again, this time Scott Haley finding Nelson in support to dive over.

The crowd could sense a comeback was on the cards. However, Bowling's loose forward Richard Lumb soon put paid to that idea as he went on a storming run, beating a number of would-be tacklers to touch down.

With Coe duly adding the extras again, Bowling began to ease ahead.

Within minutes it was Dawson's chance to turn on the magic when he collected a ball close to his own line and outpaced a number of defenders to score.

Nelson then collected his second of the afternoon to cut the deficit to 34-16 but it wasn't long before Bowling were in again.

Hooker Danny Gregory made a fine break before finding the supporting Brad Fraser with a lovely reverse pass.

The Harriers battled all the way and it was the lively Mitchell who added to his tally when he burrowed over again from acting half.

Bowling played out the final minutes without hooker Gregory after he was sin-binned but it didn't matter as Coe rounded off a fine afternoon's work for the home side when he intercepted to run the full length of the field for a converted try.