Woolston Rovers 26 Drighlington 6.

WOOLSTON Rovers consolidated second place in the National Conference League Division Three with a superb win over fellow high-flyers Drighlington.

Christian Taylor crossed twice, with Sean Conway, Wil Maudsley and Chris Mellor all scoring a try each to ensure John Fieldhouse’s side stayed hot on the heels of league leaders and local rivals Crosfields.

They opened the scoring in the second minute when Mellor put Conway through a hole in the Yorkshiremen’s defence and he raced 40 metres to score in the right corner.

It got better for Rovers when Billy Maunder’s high kick was collected by Taylor, who did brilliantly to ground despite the attentions of three defenders for a try converted by Will Chadwick.

Maunder was at the heart of the action again when he collected his own chip before finding Maudsley in support and the full-back scored in the left corner to give Rovers a 14-0 half-time advantage.

The pressure on Drighlington, one of only two sides to beat Rovers this season, did not relent in the second half as Taylor flew over from Maunder’s pass for his second of the game, with Chadwick adding the conversion.

Rovers had the game effectively won but they added a further exclamation point when Mellor brushed off four defenders to score at the side of the posts, giving Chadwick an easy conversion attempt.

Drighlington, who now fall five points behind Rovers in third place, did have the last laugh when Ryan Burton crossed out wide, but it was definitely Woolston’s day.

Rovers are back in action next Thursday, June 23, as they take on local rivals Rylands Sharks.

Rovers: Wil Maudsley; Will Chadwick, Justin Becker, Craig Middlemore, Christian Taylor; Theo Holt, Billy Maunder; Chris Mellor, Ryan Brown, Simon Counsell, Cameron Davies, Dan Fearnley, Sean Conway. Subs: Olly Parr, Anthony Clayton, Bobby McGregor, Mark Robinson.