Cleckheaton 22 Nuneaton 29

After what has been a long National Three North season, Cleckheaton played their final game in front of a loyal and at times battle-weary crowd.

The game started at a fast pace, with both sides throwing the ball about, but Cleck had the first points on the board when Nuneaton were offside and Oliver Akroyd, standing in for the injured Chris Quinn, landed the penalty from ten metres inside the Nuneaton half in the sixth minute.

Nuneaton responded seven minutes later with a try by scrum half Huw Thomas, Gareth Cull converting.

Cleckheaton regrouped and took the game to the visitors. Their reward came in the 19th minute when winger Joe South cut through to the 22 and passed to second row Richard Wilson, who sent flanker Geoff Jones in for the try, Akroyd converting.

The hosts then conceded a try against the run of play, John Beat scoring and Cull converting in the 32nd minute.

However, Cleckheaton had the last word in the half when, from a five-metre line-out, a catch and drive move became a penalty try, Akroyd converting the 35th-minute award.

Play-off certainties Nuneaton started the second half in the driving seat and, from a five-metre line-out, the ball went crossfield for Mark Howgate to score, Cull improving the 44th-minute try.

But again Cleckheaton responded, thanks to a break by replacement prop Paul Turner, Neil Welch scoring in the corner in the 55th minute.

Eleven minutes later, Nuneaton edged back in front with a try from Tristan Prosser-Shaw and in the 75th minute, Cull added a penalty after Turner had been sent off when the game boiled over.