Crosfields 30 Saddleworth Rangers 16

AFTER their fourth win in a row, Ian Boden says his Soap side are looking forward to a “well-deserved weekend off”

Skipper Jack Reid starred with a try and five goals as he ended the afternoon with a 100 per cent goalkicking success rate.

Matty Barber, Luke Walker, Brad Stanway and Kane Ditchfield were Soap’s other try-scorers as they fought off a gallant second-half fightback from the 12-man visitors, who had a man sent off in the first half.

With no game until the trip to Drighlington on June 2, Boden says his players have earned the right to put their feet up.

“The lads fully deserve our weekend off,” he said.

“We know they (Saddleworth) come with a certain physicality. Perhaps they were too pumped up for the first 20.

“Our game management week on week is improving and we controlled the game. I'm very happy with our composure.”

Saddleworth started the game in a physical manner – perhaps overly so given they were hampered by a sin-binning and a red card in the opening 20 minutes.

Soap took full advantage after Barber crashed over for the opening score, with Walker stepping and racing 90 metres before Stanway backed up a Barber break to give them an 18-0 half-time lead.

Two tries in the opening stages of the second half raised hopes of a comeback for the visitors, but Reid dummied his way over the line to give Crosfields more comfort.

Saddleworth did manage to score again before trying a short drop-out in order to put more pressure on, but Soap won the ball back and Ditchfield scored out wide.

Crosfields: John Whittaker; Dan Reid, Matt Lomax, Luke Walker, Nathan Taylor; Brad Stanway, Jack Reid; Tom Millington, Hayden James, Tom Brown, Jordan Williams, Mitchell McJay, Joe Clarke. Subs: Matty Barber, Kane Ditchfield, Matt Mahoney, Steve Pickersgill.