Cleckheaton 12 Northern 16

Cleckheaton’s nine-match winning streak came to an end at Moorend on Saturday as they came second to Northern in a thrilling North One East encounter on, at last, a firm playing surface.

Cleck were dominant in the set-pieces, especially the scrum, where they were making a real mess of the Northern front row but, unlike international rugby, this doesn’t seem to count for anything at this level except a series of re-set scrums.

Northern winger Dom Fawcett cut through the tiniest of holes in the Cleck defence to sprint 30 metres and score near the posts. Ed Cockroft converted to put them 7-0 up.

Approaching half-time, winger James Wilson barged through the last defender to touch down, Iain Gordon converting.

Two Cockroft penalties gave Northern a six-point lead but No 8 Richard Piper dotted down his 27th try of the season to move within a point.

But it was not to be Cleck’s day. First Gordon pulled a penalty past the left upright and then, in injury-time, Cockroft struck a three-pointer just as the final whistle blew.