Hunslet Club Parkside 68 Crosfields 12

CROSFIELDS met top-of-the-table Hunslet Club Parkside and found them in great form.

The visitors' effort was good throughout in the National Conference League Division Three contest, but the home side were better drilled and continually stretched the visitors’ defence.

Seven tries from Hunslet in the first half meant the game was over by half time, but the single effort from Crosfields was the try of the game.

With the score at 12-0, Keiron Thomas set Crosfields on their way, stealing the ball on a one-on-one tackle.

Matt Mahoney and Lewis Bani drove deep into opposition territory, then Joe Clarke, Jack Reid and Luke Jones combined to get the ball out to winger Nathan Taylor, who stepped inside his opposite number before brushing of the full back and diving spectacularly in at the corner. Reid converted from the touchline.

It was a short-lived fightback, as the home side continued to dominate possession and assembled a 42-6 cushion.

Crosfields continued to work hard, but were unable to break down the Hunslet defence, until the 75th minute, by which time the home side had stretched their lead to 64-6.

Danny Lee and John Whittaker broke through the defence and had Hunslet back-peddling, which gave Reid and Clarke the space to send Mahoney crashing over for a deserved try that Eid converted.

Hayden James took Crosfields’ man-of-the-match award.