Castleford Panthers 0 Crosfields 56

CROSFIELDS remain the only undefeated team in the National Conference League after demolishing Castleford Panthers at the weekend.

The Division Three leaders can boast the claim after Division Two side Hunslet Parkside lost their unbeaten record, while Soap went on the rampage in Yorkshire with 11 tries – and more scores disallowed!

Led once more by the impressive half-back combination of Jack Reid and Billy Sheen, who helped themselves to four tries and six goals, Soap were on fire and scored 28 points in each half.

This was all despite coach Tony Benson making a number of changes, including Jordan Chilton being handed his first appearance of the season and Terry Reid making an emergency comeback and rolling back the years off the bench.

Sheen opened the scoring following a neat grubber kick by Reid.

Strong goal-line defence kept the hosts at bay for back-to-back sets before a quick tap on the 20-metre line from Keiran Thomas led to a long-range break by Nathan Taylor, supported by Sheen for Matty Barber to finish off.

A slick combination between props Barber and John Pickersgill put Reid through for 18-0.  In as perfect a first half of rugby as has been shown this season Crosfields further turned the screw when Ian Boden was stopped short before Ash Cornelia crossed.

Sheen latched on to an inside ball for the final try of the half.

Craig Eves and Matty Thomason gained good field position for a set move leading to a Hayden James try from acting half back as business resumed.

Then Joe Moore, Ash Cornelia and Matty Barber took play from one end of the field to the other before a deft Sheen cross-field chip saw Taylor score out wide.  A carbon-copy effort followed nine minutes later and sustained pressure allowed Pickersgill to crash over.

Terry Reid, making an emergency comeback, rolled back the years and made good metres on a number of occasions towards the end of the game before another chip kick brought a Keiran Thomas score.

Reid made the most of poor tired home team defence to cross for the final score.

Crosfields: Ash Cornelia; Nathan Taylor, Matt Mahoney, Ian Boden, Keiran Thomas; Jack Reid, Billy Sheen; Matt Barber, Hayden James, John Pickersgill, Lew Bani, Joe Moore, Joe Clarke. Subs: Craig Eves, Terry Reid, Jordan Chilton, Matt Thomason.