National League Three North: Doncaster Phoenix 26 Cleckheaton 19

FOR the second week in a row, Cleckheaton scored more tries than their opponents but had to settle for a losing bonus point.

In a game where Andy Piper (Cleckheaton) and Andy Ellis (Doncaster Phoenix) were red-carded after half an hour for a fist fight where no-one landed blows, home fly half Jamie Lennard kicked a solitary penalty goal in an uneventful and error strewn first 20 minutes at Castle Park.

But the game sprang to life when Cleckheaton spread the ball wide to the left where winger Oliver Depledge stepped back inside his opposite number for an unconverted try.

Then there was the double dismissal, and the visitors finished the half in the ascendancy when Depledge went in for his second try, Neil Chivers converting to propel Cleckheaton into a 12-3 lead.

Lennard added another penalty goal early in the second half before his team mate, No 8 Martin Protheroe, picked up from the back of the scrum and rumbled on his own for 25 metres to the line.

The conversion put the hosts into a one-point lead but Cleckheaton full back James Wilson then got over close to the sticks, coming into the line from a well-worked move at the back of a five-metre scrum.

Chivers converted and the visitors were back in the lead at 19-13 but indiscipline then crept into their game and Lennard was able to level the scores for Phoenix with two more penalty kicks.

The game was evenly poised and looked to be heading for a draw, when, in the closing minutes, Doncaster's winger James Wright squeezed in at the corner to break the hearts of the Cleckheaton faithful, with the conversion making the final score 26-19 to Phoenix.