Clayton 22 Woodhouse Warriors 20

STAND-off Dane Bairstow slotted over an injury-time penalty to give Clayton the Pennine League spoils in a delayed kick-off against visitors Woodhouse Warriors at Lidget Green.

Both teams were warmed up and ready for the scheduled 2pm kick off in the Division Two contest, only to find that the appointed referee had failed to show up.

After a succession of frantic telephone calls, local whistler Liam Staveley was located at the Clayton Dickensian Market and he quickly donned his boots to officiate the game, which was reduced to 30 minutes each way.

Clayton had first use of the slope and shot into the lead after a number of near misses when centre Ryan Wilkinson took advantage of extra numbers out wide.

The Leeds visitors hit back quickly, with loose forward Teige O'Rielly charging to the chalk to leave stand-off Scott Everett an easy conversion.

But a rapid change of direction saw Wilkinson over once again when he stretched out of a tackle to plant the ball over the whitewash.

Yet it was Woodhouse who had the better of the first half when prop forward Connor Nolan used his size to step out of two tackles on the way for a converted effort as his side into the sheds 12-8 up.

Clayton hit a purple patch on the restart when wingman Oliver McElroy dashed up the touchline and cut inside to leave the Woodhouse full back grasping air on his way to the side of the posts, allowing Bairstow to add the extras.

Loose forward Simon Giles ensured the lead was extended when he latched on to a power break from prop Jamie Waterman and Bairstow was once again on target to see the Villagers into clear water at 20-12.

The visitors regrouped and the lively Everett scooped up a dropped ball to glide in at the uprights and added the conversion himself.

With five minutes left on the clock, Warriors full back Barry Kilbride made the scores level when he joined the line to touch down in the corner.

Both teams went hammer and tongs to find the winning score but it was the visitors who had to accept second best when they were caught interfering at the ruck.

Up stepped the unflappable Bairstow to coolly slot over the angled penalty and seal a deserved victory that lifted Clayton above their opponents into third place on points difference with two matches in hand.