BIRKENSHAW Bulldogs can't believe that they are not in the hat for the second round of the Pennine League's Supplementary Cup following their best display of the season against unbeaten Division Three champions Eastmoor Dragons.

Birky made the journey to Wakefield with a full-strength squad and boosted by the knowledge that only four points separated the sides in their two league encounters.

The Bluedogs' tackling, however, was not up to scratch in the opening salvos and they fell behind when the Dragons took advantage to put their wingman over near the posts for a converted try.

Prop forwards Paul Turner and Callum Dinsdale set the platform for the Birkenshaw opener with a series of powerful drives, enabling stand-off Jarrad Toulson to hoist a high kick, allowing wingman Chris Walker to pounce, but unfortunately too far out to add the conversion.

Centre Damian Smith broke the defensive line and popped a low ball to the on-rushing Toulson, who just failed to collect the difficult offering, but on the half-hour a lack of urgency on the goal-line by the Bluedogs' defence gifted the home side another score under the posts for a 12-4 lead.

However, an inspired Birky pack reshuffle, involving prop Andy Berry and hooker Matty Honysett, brought instant recompense when a strong run from centre Neil Wall encouraged full back Gary Proctor to join the attacking line to great effect.

His pass found Smith out wide, who hit the whitewash, leaving Proctor to tag on the extras.

With half-time imminent, a charge down from Honysett sent wingman Robbie Cass sprinting to the corner, only to see him fall to a last-ditch tackle, leaving a mightily relieved home side to go into the sheds 12-10 up.

Birkenshaw attacked with gusto on the restart but the hosts held out until Smith spotted a gap to scoot over, only to find that the referee had stopped the game for an injury.

With ten minutes to go, packman Ben Cousen cut back inside and darted for the chalk, touching down under the sticks, but to the Bluedogs' dismay the referee ruled that the ball was not grounded correctly.

With the wind taken from their sails once more, it was clearly not Birkenshaw’s day - a fact reinforced shortly afterwards when two quick penalties gave Eastmoor a 50-yard gain to establish the platform for a last-ditch converted touchdown to put them through by a flattering 18-10 margin.

Meanwhile, Queensbury went through without lifting a finger after Doncaster Toll Bar withdrew.