National League Three North: Cleckheaton 20 Wirral 12

CLECKHEATON put in their best performance of the season so far, climbing to tenth in the table and putting Wirral's confirmation of the runners-up spot on hold.

The hosts started confidently, taking the lead with an early penalty goal from Ronan Evans and, after some solid graft from the pack, Andy Piper burrowed over from close range for an unconverted try.

Cleckheaton could have gone further ahead with a fantastic try, when Lee Queeley and Brad Marsden exchanged a number of passes while they tore 50 metres down the right wing.

Unfortunately, a last-gasp ankle tap prevented a score, and Cleckheaton suffered a further blow when lock Luke Pearson had to leave the field just before the interval with what turned out to be a fractured ankle.

Cleckheaton had nullified all of Wirral’s threats in the first period and started the second half in equally ebullient mood.

Full back James Wilson and Marsden worked their way around Wirral’s back-line defence and caused the visitors to infringe in the tackle area.

A yellow card was produced and, from the elected scrum that followed, good hands from Cleck’s Matt Piper and Martin Woodhead put Wilson over the whitewash, Evans adding the conversion.

With 25 minutes to go and Cleckheaton seemingly in control, home prop Paul Turner was sin-binned, followed soon after by scrum half, Jack Bickerdike.

Wirral had a two-man advantage and, unsurprisingly, opted for a scrum from the penalty that came with the second card.

After two abortive attempts and Cleckheaton dicing with a penalty try, Wirral shipped the ball wide and Julian Haigh got the visitors on the scoreboard.

From the re-start, the visitors spread the ball with pace and James Annetts completed a flowing move.

The same player converted his own try, and suddenly Wirral were right back in it at 15-12.

Cleckheaton were not about to let their hard work come to nought though, and forwards Ryan Piercy and Tom Austin passed the ball like centres to put Jack Seddon over in the corner.

In the last ten minutes, Cleckheaton camped in the opposition's danger zone but the bonus-point try eluded them.