Crosfields 18 Drighlington 16

DAN Reid’s last-gasp effort sealed a superb Crosfields comeback as they finished the season in fine style on Saturday.

Soap were 16-4 down with 13 minutes remaining at Hood Lane but managed to secure their third win in four games.

However, despite finishing level on points with sixth-placed Askam, Mark Brennan’s side were pipped to the final National Conference League Division Two play-off place on points difference.

Jack Reid, Tom Millington and Nathan Taylor were also on the scoresheet for Soap.

The visitors started on the front foot but it was Crosfields that took the lead when, after a strong drive from Joe Moore took them up to the Drighlington line, skipper Jack Reid dummied through the defence to touch down.

However, Drighlington were giving as good as they got and forced consecutive sets on the Soap line, which led to Lee Mulhern crossing the whitewash before Mick Sanderson’s conversion took them narrowly ahead.

That was how it stayed at the break, but Ryan Burton gave the visitors more breathing space after the break when a kick bounced nicely for him to touch down.

With chances few and far between, Sanderson kicked two penalties for the visitors to seemingly put them in control.

However, Millington had other ideas and he crashed onto an inside ball and stretched out to touch down, with Jack Reid’s conversion narrowing the gap to six points.

With five minutes remaining, Soap forced and error and from the resulting scrum, Sam Hickey, Jack Reid and Ash Cornelia combined to put Taylor over.

Another Drig error in the final minute proved decisive as Reid was found after nice interplay between Cornelia, Jordan Chilton and John Whittaker and the winger dived over for the winning score.