BRADFORD Dudley Hill have been relegated from Division One of the Kingstone Press National Conference League.

A year after being promoted via the play-offs, their fate was sealed by a 31-26 home defeat against Pilkington Recs.

Things looked very different at half-time, however, as the Parry Laners led 20-6 after tries by man-of-the-match Neil Wall, loose forward Andy Walker and stand-off Martin Southwell, with full back Simon Sewell adding four goals.

Hill led 22-12 after 53 minutes as Sewell added another penalty, but the sin-binning of winger Wall on the hour for a professional foul, when the hosts were leading 22-18, did not help matters.

Recs were 26-22 in front four minutes later but although centre Damian Smith's try levelled the scores ten minutes from time, the visitors added a drop goal and a try in the closing stages.

"We played very solidly in the first half and more than controlled it," said Hill's first-team manager Steve Wright, "but we don't seem to know how to close out matches.

"It is frustrating as we have been in 80 per cent of the matches this season for 80 minutes."

There was not much better news in Division Two, where West Bowling lost 34-20 at home to Hull Dockers.

Tries from winger Kieran Brining and centre Adam Reardon kept Bowling in the hunt at half-time, where they trailed 12-8, but they could only add tries by full back Brandon Warrior and stand-off Liam Darville in the second half, plus two goals by scrum half Liam Coe.

"It was one of our worst performances of the season," said Bowling coach Ryan Hunkin, "right from the warm-up.

"If we had won, we would have had a great chance of getting into the play-offs, and we still have a chance but it is a slimmer one as we have dropped to ninth."

In the Yorkshire Men's League, Queensbury triumphed 33-24 at York Acorn to stay second, but there was no joy in Division Two with Wibsey Warriors losing 37-28 at third-placed West Hull, and Odsal Sedbergh being trounced 64-6 at second-placed Boothtown Terriers.

Bradford Bulls half-back Jordan Lilley has been found guilty of abusing a match official in his role as coach of Stanningley.

The National Conference League's disciplinary committee ruled that his sending off was sufficient in the match on July 7 – a home defeat to Crosfields – but have warned him as to his future conduct.

Meanwhile, West Bowling back Jack Milburn was banned and fined £60 for use of the forearm on the same date in a home win over Leigh East.

His three-match ban started on August 13, as did that of Bradford Dudley Hill's Elliot Cousins for a head butt.