At the start of the season, Cleckheaton's public ambitions were to finish in mid-table in North Division One, or optimistically in the upper reaches.

After two successive promotions that seemed fair enough, but - despite the 13-11 defeat at Chester the previous week - John Bentley's club are still leading the table, albeit on points difference, and have had to re-assess their end-of-season target.

"If we had looked at ourselves at the beginning of the season, we certainly would have been be pleased with where we are now," admitted Cleckheaton's coach Tudor Evans.

"In September, we were looking to finish in mid-table, but now we are looking to get promoted again, and if we lose no more than four games, then we are in with a very good chance of going up once more. And we are on target because we have only lost two games."

Evans added candidly: "The last couple of weeks we have been disappointed with our own performances, but we set ourselves really high standards at the outset and recently we haven't kept up to them.

"At Chester, we were expecting a very hard game and we built up for it, but it was a bit deflating because they weren't as good as we had expected and we didn't raise our game.

"We stayed at a level, and yet it wasn't good enough. They played quite well towards the back end of the match and held us out."

Evans revealed: "And the players are fairly disappointed with this result, but we would have definitely have settled for 32-10 before the kick-off given the conditions and knowing that Sandal had strengthened since we beat them 52-5 at their place three weeks ago.

"They were a lot more committed and spirited than then, and I personally wasn't disappointed with our performance given the damp weather and the light, which got very poor towards the end.

"However, we have got two points and we have won at home, which is what we were looking to do - win all our home games and pick up what we can away from home.

"The most pleasing thing about this victory was the commitment of our forwards. Mistakes were made, but they all believe in our plan and it worked."

As for the promotion battle, Evans said: "There are four, or maybe even five teams battling to go up, and we are only halfway through the league season."

Sandal took a shock third-minute lead, lively fly half Jake Havebond making the break for full back Ben Brindley to score.

But Cleck were level in the ninth minute, a Jamie Kaye break on the blindside giving left winger Michael Piper the space to cross wide out. Full back Alex Green added a penalty and converted centre Oliver Ackroyd's try.

Piper crossed again in the second half, Sandal replied via flanker Andy Key, but Cleckheaton finished strongly with tries by hooker Steve Bishop and lock Richard Wilson, Green converting the latter, leaving the final score Cleckheaton 32, Sandal 10. Kaye and Andrew Strachan (Sandal) were sin-binned by referee Stuart Clatworthy.