Nuneaton battle back to remain in race

National League 3 Midlands

TITLE-chasing Nuneaton recovered from a first-half mauling and a 24-point deficit to beat Derby 34-31 with two minutes to spare.

Emilien Cabale’s fourthminute penalty preceded a trio of converted efforts with George Castledine diving over and Jim Wigglesworth rounding off a pair of slick team moves.

Shell-shocked Nuns gathered themselves and grabbed a lifeline five minutes before the break when Jackson Hughes registered an unconverted effort and Llyr Griffiths scored another try, with Rob Cook adding the extras.

That good work looked to have been undone six minutes after the restart when Wigglesworth completed his hat-trick to put the visitors 31-12 up.

But back came Nuneaton through Hughes and then Umran Jadwat, closing the deficit to seven points.

Theo Knight’s 63rdminute

try was converted by Cook to level matters but it took a penalty at the death for Nuneaton to claim victory.

Sheffield maintained their three-point lead at the summit with a 38-20 triumph over Bedford Athletic.

Ryan Seabright and Bedford’s Josh Cassell exchanged tries with the hosts 10-8 up at the break courtesy of Andy Hodgson’s conversion.

Sheffield’s flurry at the start of the second half sealed the success with Matt Adcock, Adam McKay and Fergus Wood crossing.

Athletic made a fist of it with efforts from James Mortimer and Stephen Woodhead but Dan Rylance made the maximum haul safe a minute from the end. Birmingham & Solihull climbed to fourth by stretching their legs in the second half to win 39-22 at Sandbach.

Jack Jolly was among the points with a penalty, a try and two conversions in the first half but the hosts levelled at 17-17 shortly after half-time.

Jolly landed another penalty and then Charlie Mumford, Ben Phillips and Matt Spink decided matters.

Tries from Zac Osborne and Mat Bodily secured

Towcestrians a 26-16 win at backmarkers Syston.

Lichfield’s recent renaissance was halted in a close 36-33 defeat at Longton.

Elsewhere, Broadstreet edged Old Halesonians 2420 and Peterborough

Lions beat Bridgnorth 2620.