BILLINGHAM 31 ROSSENDALE 32

However it was close run and needed a penalty from the last kick of the game by Lewis Allen to take the win and secure maximum points.
Billingham opened the scoring with a try from Tom Briggs but with Rossendale putting the opposition under heavy pressure Phil Mills came round on the outside to latch onto some good hands across the field to level matters.

Billingham hit back with a penalty from Dan Finney but a miss kick to touch by the home side was run back by Leon Simpson who set up the opportunity for George Peel to go over for the second, the conversion from Allen affording the visitors a 8-12 lead.
Again a poor kick out of defence and a break by Allen sent Peel in close to the posts for his second, Allen also adding the extras to give the visitors a 8-19 lead .

However coming up to the interval Bilingham hit back with tries from Martin Hopley, a second for Briggs and with Finney slotting the conversion and landing a penalty the home side went in at the break 23-19 ahead.

In the second period Briggs racked up his third with an exchange of penalties leaving Rossendale trailing 31-22.

With the clock running down a kick through by Allen was chased by Simpson who put the full back under pressure and in trying to get the ball away Allen needed no second chance to snap up the interception add the conversion to make it a two point game, the last kick also from Allen deciding the honours

Geoff Lightfoot