Cleckheaton 24 Old Crossleyans 17
This hard-fought West Yorkshire derby was decided by a piece of individual brilliance from Cleckheaton scrum half Jack Bickerdike with just four minutes remaining.
A penalty try for a scrum infringement opened the scoring for the visitors and, although Leigh Thomas converted, he missed three further difficult chances to extend Crossleyans’ lead in the first half.
In response, Cleckheaton regained the upper hand and a Richard Piper try, converted by Iain Gordon, left the scores level at the break.
Gordon opened the second-half scoring with a penalty but the visitors responded with another penalty try for the same scrum infringement, Thomas again adding the extras.
Piper added a carbon copy try to his first, converted by Gordon, but, with ten minutes remaining, Thomas levelled with a penalty.
The play remained fluid until Bickerdike made a telling break from just inside the Crossleyans half and sprinted to the line to score the try of the season for his new club.
Gordon converted and the home side had secured the points.
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