Cleckheaton 8, Altrincham Kersal 3

Cleckheaton started the post John Bentley era with a scrappy victory over spirited North Division One basement club Altrincham Kersal yesterday.

Having spent much of the first half watching from behind the posts, second row John Dudley came on for the last 16 minutes but fellow joint head coach Doug Trivella, the former Zimbabwean international, watched from the stands.

"I decided it was best if I didn't start as you can see much more of what is going on from the sidelines," said 41-year-old Dudley.

"Basically, I will look after the forwards and Doug, who I know from my time at Rotherham, will look after the backs.

"Doug and I conferred just before half-time about what we were going to say because he saw different things to me from the stands.

"But just because I have become joint head coach doesn't mean that I have finished playing. We have a lot of lads in the team whose ages range from 19 to 25 so they need some experience and the aim is for Doug and myself to bring them on."

Dudley added: "Things have been in turmoil a bit for the past two weeks but the morale of the boys is good and there is nothing better for spirits than a win.

"The weather's meant that time has been limited and I could not get over all that I wanted to say in an hour at training."

After all the rain which hampered Cleckheaton's ability to train, the Moorend pitch passed a 10am inspection on Saturday, and the hosts included Jonny Marshall at fly half after several impressive matches for the Kestrels (Cleckheaton's second team).

However, it was the visitors - who were bottom of the table on points difference - who started more brightly on a pitch that stood up well to the 80 minutes.

Scrum half Wayne Morris' jinking run into Cleckheaton's 22 threatened to create something for Kersal, while his half-back partner Josh Dyson was also lively.

Wingers on both sides had limited chances in a forgettable first half but Cleckheaton missed the only two shots at goal, Marshall firing wide in the 22nd minute and centre Owen Edwards being off target 11 minutes later.

It didn't take long for Dudley to bring on prop Carl Mason for Jim Lamptey in the second half and three minutes later a rare fluid passing movement brought Cleckheaton a try for full back Ryan Duckett from a short pass from winger Simon Bradshaw.

It doubtless brought a smile to the face of the watching Bradford Bulls prop Sam Burgess, who had a bird's eye view of the Bulls general manager's 50th-minute five-pointer.

Four minutes later, visiting prop Dale Garner was sin-binned for deliberately playing the ball back with his hand.

Edwards landed the subsequent penalty from midway between the 22 and the ten-metre line but Cleckheaton then had to defend sternly to prevent Kersal from scoring at a five-metre scrum.

With tensions rising and the atmosphere getting tetchy off the field as well, Dudley came on for young Matt Burrows in the 64th minute. Three minutes later, Sean Rogers landed a penalty for the visitors to crank the atmosphere up a notch.

Dudley then had to pull off a cover tackle to prevent a dangerous Kersal breakaway but with one minute of normal time left, referee Chris Meadows (North West Society) sin-binned Cleckheaton skipper Dominic Castle for a professional foul.

In the 83rd minute, Kersal blew their last chance when they failed to find touch in Cleckheaton's 22 with a penalty.