Cleckheaton 24, Huddersfield YMCA 17

CLECKHEATON’S players managed to take the emotion out of an afternoon that was full of it.

It was the first home match for the first team since the death of club president, fixture secretary and press officer Alan Bentley, and there was a minute’s applause for ‘Big Al’ at the pre-match luncheon, and a minute’s silence before kick-off.

Take into account also that this was a derby and that YMCA, who were promoted with Cleckheaton from SSE North One East last season, had won the last three league matches between the clubs, and there was also a whiff of revenge in the air.

Handling errors could be excused – particularly towards the end of a bitterly cold afternoon – but Cleckheaton still notched a maximum of five points in their first league victory over the visitors from Laund Hill since December 9, 2000.

But the John Bower Trophy, decided on the aggregate result of their league matches in a season, was shared as YMCA had won the reverse fixture 31-24.

However, as the Huddersfield club had done the double over Cleckheaton last season, presumably they were allowed to take it back home.

The Cleckheaton players interrupted their warm-up to listen to Cleckheaton RUFC chairman Neil Gillan pay tribute to Alan Bentley at the start of the luncheon, reminding the diners that it was crucial to ‘Mr Cleckheaton’ how his club was perceived, but skipper Richard Piper said afterwards that they hadn’t let their emotions get the better of them during the match.

“We wanted to win the match for ourselves because YMCA had beaten us three times in a row and it was a derby,” said the powerful No 8. “It was only after we had won that we could dedicate the victory to Alan.”

Cleckheaton thus extended their unbeaten league run to eight matches and their unbeaten home league run to 13 since YMCA beat them 12-8, 11 months ago.

Piper added: “We want to keep our unbeaten home record but if we play to our potential we will take some beating home or away for the rest of the season. Our defence was great.”

The hosts took the lead in the 11th minute when they attacked down the right before switching play to the left for winger Martin Woodhead to barge several tacklers away to score a try which was magnificently converted by full back Ross Hayden.

However, in what was a physical and at times feisty contest, former Bees winger Gavin Stead got YMCA on the scoreboard with a penalty four minutes later, and only superb defence then kept out the visitors after a sustained spell of pressure halfway through the first stanza.

Prop Alex Dawson gave the Moorenders a 12-3 half-time lead with a try in the 28th minute but YMCA, who voluntary went into the changing rooms at half-time to change their shirts from black and red to yellow, hit back 12 minutes into the second half with a try by No 8 Josh Lumb, which was well converted by Stead.

Cleckheaton then showed two clinical ways to score tries, Richard Piper getting on the end of a pushover after 56 minutes and right winger Cameron Burnhill getting on the end of an accurate kick by Michael Piper to the scoreboard corner, although the try wasn’t confirmed by referee Chris Binnie until after a conversation with Cleckheaton touch judge Andy Clark.

With Hayden converting the first of these two tries, the margin was now 24-10 but YMCA bounced back with a try from centre Adam Ryder six minutes into injury time after a superbly-timed pass, Stead’s conversion gaining them a bonus point.

YMCA then threatened to score a fourth try from deep in the four remaining added minutes and potentially earn a draw and two more league points but Cleckheaton denied them to triumph and move up to fourth equal with Firwood Waterloo.