Dale dig deep but cannot deny the hosts

A DOGGED display from Luctonians saw them earn a bonus-point win over a well-drilled Tynedale side.

Dale started with purpose and kept the home side back in their own 22 and were rewarded with a Jack Harrison try after nine minutes.

However Luctonians, looking to ensure they don’t fall into a relegation battle, dug deep, and roared on by the home crowd, responded through an Adam Knight try following excellent work by Frank Kelly, with Johnny Morris adding the extras.

Lucs continued to pin Dale back in their own half and were rewarded with their second try from a driving maul when Guy Kirkby went over, Tynedale losing Scott Powell to a yellow in the build-up.

Dale responded well from the restart and punished Lucs when Harrison scored his second.

Lucs were guilty of handling errors early in the second half when in good positions, and Tynedale looked on for an away win when James Spencer scored following another kick through.

However, Lucs took full advantage of a Dale yellow card when Dan Smith touched down following excellent work from Kelly and Will Burton.

The home side pressed hard for the bonus point try, and with time running out Morris scored from another driving maul and kicked the conversion for the home side to claim a valuable win.