All smiles for Sedgley Park while Sale FC move out of bottom three

Once again in National Two North, there was excitement and change at both ends of the table and with us now nearing the end of the season, performances and results are vital.

At the top, league leaders Macclesfield showed their title credentials with a hard fought win over Leicester Lions while Stourbridge fell to defeat against Tynedale.

With Sedgley Park’s nearest promotion rivals faulting, they got their job done against Chester to once more be in control of their own promotion fate.

Down at the bottom, South Leicester dropped into the bottom three alongside Broadstreet and Huddersfield after defeat to Otley while Sale FC picked up a huge win to move them out of danger.

Elsewhere, Sandal’s decline continues, Luctonians’ rise carries on and Harrogate maintained their recent good form.

Leicester Lions 15-20 Macclesfield

Macclesfield became the first team to register a victory at Westleigh Park this season as they beat Leicester Lions to extend their winning run to seven matches.

But the league leaders had to battle for their 20^th win of the campaign after they found themselves 12-5 down at half-time thanks to two Devon Constant tries for Leicester. Matthew King responded for the visitors.

The home side were reduced to 13 men after the break when Ben Spokes and Josheph Colllingham were both shown yellow cards and even though Harrison Lewis was also sent to the bin for Macc, Giles Heagerty’s men were able to level up the scores up as Lewis Barker touched down.

Fly-half Jonathan Boden landed a penalty for the Lions to give them a 15-12 lead, but that lasted just two minutes as Joshua Fowles darted over for Macclesfield to put them in front for the first time in this contest.

Barker ultimately sealed the victory with a penalty 12 minutes from time to leave Macclesfield 17 points clear at the top of this division with the Blues still having seven games left to play to season. As for Leicester, this was their first defeat in 13 matches at home this season and they remain third in the table.

Sedgley Park 48-5 Chester

Sedgley Park romped to an eight-try win over visitors Chester to tighten their grip on the play-off place in National Two North.

Juan Crous and Samuel Lowthion each touched down twice against the away side who were out of this contest by half-time.

Winger Curtis Strong went over in the opening minutes and that was swiftly followed by a try from Andrew Riley which put Sedge in complete control early on.

Crous’ tries also came in the first half while Lowthion dotted down his first try of the afternoon before the interval to secure the bonus-point for The Tigers as they went into the break 29-0 ahead.

Sedge began the second period with a Penalty Try before Lowthion crossed for his second score of the day.

Chester did have something to smile about when Harrison Vare went over eight minutes from the end, but Sedge had the final say as Shaun Manley darted over to wrap up a convincing win for the home side.

Tynedale 38-17 Stourbridge

Tynedale moved five points clear of the relegation zone after a much needed bonus-point win over Stourbridge.

Tyne led 18-10 at the break after Ashley Elvers’ and Nigel Mukarati’s tries for Stour were cancelled out by two Robert Parker penalties as well as a score apiece from Parker and Daniel Marshall.

Hooker Louis Frankland touched down to stretch the hosts’ lead after half-time before team-mates Scott Powell and Graeme Dunn were both yellow-carded opening the door for Stourbridge to get back into this match and they did just that as Will Harding’s try made it 25-17 on 51 minutes.

But, any optimism they may have had quickly evaporated as Harding’s try was all the away side could muster up as Jack Harrison and Jamie Blamire rounded off the win for Tynedale whose relegation worries have been eased slightly after this triumph.

This loss for Stourbridge has dented their play-off hopes further. With Leicester Lions also suffering a defeat, both teams lie seven points behind second placed Sedgley Park, but Sedge have two games in hand over the pair of them.

Harrogate 31-26 Caldy

Harrogate earned a bonus-point win as they beat Caldy whose play-off dream is all but over in National Two North.

Caldy began the day seven points behind Sedgley Park, but this defeat now leaves them 11 points adrift of the play-off place with Sedge having two games in hand over the Wirral side.

Harrogate led 21-11 at half-time in this encounter thanks to tries from Callum Irvine and Willem Enslin with eight points coming from the boot of Lewis Minkin while Irvine also slotted a drop-goal.

Caldy’s response came from a Richard Vasey penalty and a try from Jack Lavin and it was Lavin who scored the opening try of the second period only after Minkin had landed his third penalty of the afternoon for ‘Gate.

With score now at 24-16, there was a glimmer of hope for Caldy, but that was dashed in an instant as Minkin took his tally to 16 points for the afternoon as he dotted down Harrogate’s third try of the day.

Adam Kelly crossed for Caldy a minute from the end, but Harrogate sealed the bonus-point in the final play of the game as Irvine touched down to clinch their fourth win in their last five games.

Otley 10-8 South Leicester

Otley secured their 14^th win of the season after a battling victory over relegation threatened South Leicester at Cross Green.

James Wood’s 11^th minute try allowed Otley to reach half-time in front with fly-half Joshua Cruise also landing a penalty in the first period for the hosts.

His opposite number, Ricci Aley got South off to a decent start after the break with a penalty, but the visitors just couldn’t find a way through until the 77^th minute when Blane Howe touched down.

The conversion was missed by the away side as Otley held on for victory while South have now dropped into the bottom three after suffering their third defeat in five matches.

Sandal 20-24 Preston Grasshoppers

Preston Grasshoppers arrested a four game losing streak with victory over a Sandal side that are now just a place above the relegation zone.

Sean Taylor darted over to give Garth Dew’s men an early lead at Milnethorpe Green before Charles Hough bundled over as the visitors made it 10-10 at half-time after a Simon Frewin try and a penalty from Greg Wood for Sandal.

Taylor added his second try just three minutes after the break to give the Hoppers the lead before Wood reduced the deficit to four points with his second penalty of the afternoon.

Preston went on to earn a bonus point through Lewis Allen’s score while James Briscoe’s try on 77 minutes was merely a consolation for Sandal who have now lost nine of their last 10 games.

Luctonians 26-23 Broadstreet

The Luctonians just about maintained their fabulous recent run of results after a late Josh Watkins try secured victory at Mortimer Park which leaves Broadstreet 10 points adrift of safety.

Street fly-half Lee Chapman slotted two penalties but Alex James’ two kicks and a slick Watkins score put the Luctonians 13-6 up by half-time.

Chapman landed his third penalty just after the interval before Watkins added his second try of the day on 48 minutes which was swiftly followed by a Louis Silver penalty which gave the hosts a 12 point lead.

Chris Idehen then barged his way over for Broadstreet which gave them hope that they could recover and they did just that when Daniel Martin crossed on 70 minutes to give them a 21-23 lead.

But what looked like a vital victory for Broadstreet was snatched from them four minutes from the end as Watkins completed his hat-trick to earn the Luctonians their 10^th win from their last 13 matches.

Huddersfield 28-35 Sale FC

Sale FC secured just their second away win of the season as they beat bottom club Huddersfield to crucially move out of the relegation zone.

The away side found themselves 22-17 behind at half-time as Liam Parfitt, Lewis Bradley and Joel Hinchcliffe all went over for the hosts adding to Chris Bell’s early penalty.

Sale’s first-half points came via two Chris Mayor scores and a penalty from Liam McGovern.

Hinchcliffe added three more points to Huddersfield’s lead straight after the interval, but Sale then went ahead heading into the final quarter of this pulsating encounter as Ciaran Conolly darted over while McGovern nailed the conversion and also landed another penalty.

However, their lead lasted just 12 minutes as Benjamin Gledhill was yellow-carded for the visitors which presented Hinchcliffe with another kickable penalty which he duly dispatched to make it 28-27.

But it was Sale who clinched the victory at Lockwood Park as Adam Greendale touched down seven minutes from time and the win was secured when McGovern knocked over his third penalty of the afternoon to move Sale two points clear of the drop.

As for Huddersfield, this was another narrow defeat for them, but ultimately, they are now 21 points from safety with six games left to play. Their fate is almost sealed.