Rylands Sharks 46 Gateshead Storm 22.

RYLANDS Sharks sealed a place in the National Conference League Division Three play-offs with a convincing home win over Gateshead Storm.

Nick Braide scored a hat-trick while further tries came from Brad McAlpine Casey Brown, Gavin Conroy, Chris Dean and Jack Lewis, who also added seven goals.

After Braide had got the ball rolling with his first try, the Sharks blitzed their visitors with a spell of four tries in ten minutes.

McAlpine crossed to double the lead before Brown sprinted the full length of the field to add his name to the scoresheet.

Dean and Braide’s second catapulted the hosts into a 30-0 lead before Paul Parkinson finally got Gateshead on the board.

That score seemed to give the visitors a boost as they emerged for the second half with renewed vigour and were rewarded with tries for Neil Emmerson and Dan Rhodes.

The Tynesiders were in with a sniff, but Conroy soon put paid to their chances by crossing out wide to put Rylands back in full command.

Luke Banham crashed over for the visitors but the final word went to Lewis, who capped a tremendous display by crossing to bring proceedings to a close.

The result leaves Rylands four points inside the play-off places with just one regular season game to go, which is a trip to third-placed Drighlington on September 3.

Rylands: Casey Brown; Luke Gillooley, Gavin Conroy, Troy Brophy, Stuart Simm; Jack Lewis, Sean Boyle; Stuart Shaw, Craig Harris, Danny Woods, Brad McAlpine, Nick Braide, Chris Dean. Subs: Dave Walker, Mike Harrison, Rob Campbell, Ryan Butler.