Langworthy Reds 22 Burtonwood Bridge 18

PLAYING for 30 minutes with 12 men proved Burtonwood Bridge’s undoing in their opening game of the NWML Division Three campaign.

Seconds after Almer Salvilla had returned from the sin bin having been sent there for dissent, Will Weir was sent off for punching an opponents.

Bridge finished the game a man light and could not overhaul the advantage opponents Langworthy Reds had built up.

The hosts went ahead after 10 minutes, but Bridge hit back with two tries in quick succession to take the lead.

Salvilla put full-back Ross Young through a gap to stride over before Oli Morrissey took advantage of a blind-side overlap to cross in the corner and put Lee Cunningham’s men 8-4 up.

Langworthy notched another try to retake the lead, but Weir profited from a kind bounce as Craig Stanton chipped through to hand the initiative back to Burtonwood, with Greg Peters this time converting.

The hosts scored again to send the sides in level at half time, but frustration grew after the break resulting in Salvilla’s yellow card and Weir’s dismissal.

Aidan Doyle chased Stanton’s kick to claim a try on his debut, but it was not enough to earn the visitors a victory.

Cunningham’s men travel to Wigan Bulldogs on Saturday, kick off 2.30pm.

Burtonwood: Ross Young; Jack Graham, Adam Morris, Will Weir, Oli Morrissey; Craig Stanton, Almer Salvilla; James Innes, Dan Hart, Craig Burke, Jacob Almond, Brad Thompson, Rikki St. Pier. Subs: Greg Peters, Scott Turner, Aidan Doyle, Jack O’Neill.