Queensbury 44 Birkenshaw Bluedogs 6

QUEENSBURY continued their rampant post-festive form by inflicting a hefty Division Two Central defeat on Birkenshaw in their Pennine League derby at Asa Briggs.

'Bury, who had walloped Beeston Broncos by 60 points last time out, carried on where they left off as packman Tom Hart powered his way to the side of the posts following a tap-and-run penalty before the visitors had touched the ball.

Scrum half Mike Boocock added the extras but the Bluedogs rallied strongly and were unlucky to be denied when prop Adam Lazenby put full back Danny Howard into space, only to see him fall to a last-ditch tackle.

Back-row forward Callum Wilkins then suffered an identical fate when he was brought to ground after a 30-metre dash up the middle.

The hosts took further advantage of the favourable slope when loose forward Jonjo Naylor latched on to a crash ball to reach the chalk.

The tempo reached boiling point when Bluedogs centre Ben Cousen and fiery Queensbury second-row forward John Farr swapped calling cards in a bruising encounter.

Farr, who was playing his first game after a six-match ban, was marched to the sin-bin by vastly-experienced referee Bob Ingham.

Queensbury made light of their reduction in numbers when stand-off Jordan Brown dived over from acting half.

This was soon followed by another straight-running effort from half back Callum Murgatroyd, which was too far out for Boocock to add his fourth conversion but saw the hosts 22-0 up at the break.

The Bluedogs' task looked to be insurmountable when Brown slipped out of a tackle to sprint in for his brace.

And Birkenshaw were further denied when wingman Gary Procter was hauled down after a 50-metre interception, which was quickly followed by a flurry of fists that saw home prop Tom Leach and opposite number Lazenby collect yellow cards.

The visitors broke their duck in fine style when Cousen straightened up the line to send Procter dashing over at the flag, adding the conversion himself.

But the one-way traffic continued with wingman Dan Vaseley cantering in at the corner – and an exhausted defence failed to prevent two late efforts from Hart and full back Robson Moore which completed the home tally.