Cleckheaton extend gr-eight run (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Cleckheaton extend gr-eight run

6:00pm Sunday 3rd March 2013 in Sport By Sports Desk

Cleckheaton 29 Middlesbrough 7

North One East side Cleckheaton took their winning run to eight on the trot to remain undefeated in 2013.

After only five minutes stand-off Iain Gordon sliced through the defence to put full back Ross Hayden in and Gordon converted.

From the restart, powerful centre Lee Queeley burst through the midfield and provided a superb one-handed pass to set winger James Wilson free to score Cleck’s second try.

Relegation-threatened Middlesbrough hit back with a close-range try from Richard Lonsdale, converted by Jack Bircham, and dominated the next 20 minutes but Queeley burst through again before Jack Bickerdike took the final pass to score and Gordon’s conversion made the half-time score 19-7.

Cleck now had the breeze at their backs but Boro upped their game again until the hosts got their kicking game together.

Pinned into the corners, the visitors defended manfully but, when Cleck spread the ball wide, Hayden entered the line and, with two audacious side-steps, touched down again, Gordon’s attempted conversion hitting the post. Cleck utilised their well-rehearsed catch-and-drive routine to score their final try which went to No 8 Rich Piper – his 24th of the season.