After three successive defeats in National League Three North, Cleckheaton are hoping that this third-round Powergen National Trophy victory can kick-start their season.

"It was just the win that we needed," said home scrum half Dominic Castle, who got the only try of the second half as Cleck handed their North Division One opponents their first defeat of the campaign.

"And we finally put some phases together that we have been practising.

"In facing Bradford & Bingley and Blaydon we had met two of the best packs in our division, so we have been putting in some extra work on scrummaging since we lost to Leicester Lions, and we matched Longton.

"Leicester Lions were also a very good scrummaging side so we realised there was a lot of work to do in that area.

"And it all seemed to come together here, both in the scrums and the line-outs."

This result certainly left the Cleckheaton players in better heart after they had lost the second half 55-0 at Blaydon eight days earlier, having been only 19-10 behind at the interval.

But Castle still recognised that they need to be more clinical, reckoning they blew three or four try-scoring opportunities against the Stafford-shire visitors.

Nevertheless, he added: "The win will give us a huge boost as we were a little flat after our defeat at Blaydon, and hopefully we can take things on from here into our league match at home to Darlington Mowden Park this week."

Longton skipper Tony Wheat said: "We thought we could come to Cleckheaton and win but we just didn't produce it on the day. We had as much possession as them in the first half but we weren't as clinical as they were, and if you don't score then you don't deserve it.

"However, I don't think the scoreboard reflected how the game went."

Cleckheaton had first use of a wind that was blowing pretty much straight down the pitch, and took the lead in the third minute with a penalty by fly half Chris Quinn.

Castle made a sniping break in the sixth minute, but the hosts then had to defend, Longton being held up over the line four minutes later.

Half-back Castle's blind-side break in the 12th minute gave Cleckheaton their first real chance of a try, right winger John Bentley beating his man on the outside but his inside pass to skipper Mark Billington was knocked on.

Five minutes later, however, another Bentley incision, followed by Billington twisting and turning, gave No 8 Oliver Akroyd the chance to score on the left.

Quinn's conversion arrowed its way between the posts but Akroyd was then involved in defence, a great cover tackle knocking flanker Luke Granger into the corner flag in the 31st minute.

Six minutes later Akroyd got on the end of a pushover try, Quinn again adding a fine conversion.

Cleckheaton, ureged on by Bentley in the backs, then went mightily close to a third try before half-time, the ball being knocked on after a move of great continuity - the visitors surviving a five-metre scrum soon after.

The hosts carried on in the same vein after the interval, a break involving Bentley and hooker Steve Worsley coming to nothing, and Akroyd later knocking on after good work by full back Tom Gwilliam.

Former British Lion Bentley was doing plenty of good things with ball in hand and almost paved the way for Worsley to go over in the right-hand corner in the 61st minute.

But just when it looked as if the second half would be scoreless, Castle got a deserved try, Quinn's successful conversion remarkably getting stuck on about the only railing around the ground that didn't have a cross-rail.