Second victory for Billingham
BILLINGHAM gained their second win of the season when a strong second-half performance gave them a 43-20 win over Sandal at Greenwood Road on Saturday.
The victory sets them up nicely for their visit to Rossendale this Saturday where they have never won, and also put them right amongst the early leaders.
Martin Hopley put Billingham into the lead with an early try which was converted by Peter Evans, and then Lewis Roxby scored another on 20 minutes.
Sandal pulled three points back with a penalty, but Joe Evans scored another converted try for the home side for a 19-3 lead.
But Sandal launched a mini fightback with a converted try and penalty that got them to 19-13 at half time.
After the break, the two sides exchanged tries, with Matt Kirby scoring for Billingham, but in the last 10 minutes Billingham powered to victory with tries from Don McAlorum, Kirby and Evans, two of them converted, for a 43-20 win.
Billingham are currently fourth, a point behind Rossendale. Harrogate are top, having scored 95 points in their first two matches.
In Durham and Northumberland Division One, Acklam’s late fightback wasn’t enough as they lost 45-40 to Consett, with Len Hogg scoring four tries and finishing on the losing side.
With the wind at their backs, Consett led 33-7 at half time. Acklam were 26-0 down before they got going, when Hogg scored a converted try from a Marcus Sudron assist.
Consett scored another try just after the break to go 38-7 up, but Acklam hit back when Josh Abraham set up Hogg to score, and then he completed his hat trick of tries following a good passing move for 38-21.
Jacob Robinson went over on the opposite side for 38-26, but Consett broke away to increase their lead with a converted try and a 45-26 lead.
Acklam didn’t give up and pulled a try back from a five-metre scrum on 70 minutes, then Hogg broke away for his fourth try of the game in the last minute.
Acklam are away to Whitley Bay Rockcliff this Saturday.
Middlesbrough were narrowly beaten 19-17 at Northern.
Northern scored the first try of the game from a driving maul, but Boro pulled an unconverted try back through Andy Micklewright.
Northern continued to press and eventually scored with a converted try.
Chris McRoberts ran over in the corner for a converted try, then Brendan Hill scored his third try of the season to put them 17-14 up with just a few minutes left. However, Northern recovered to score a late try, but Boro had the consolation of a losing bonus point.
This Saturday, Middlesbrough are at home to Novocastrians.
Stockton led South Shields Westoe away from home at one stage, but they lost 25-20.
Westoe scored two converted tries and a penalty to go 15-0 up, but a good spell of pressure by Stockton yielded four successful penalties by Steve Jones and a try by Johnny Horner for a 17-15 lead.
Westoe then scored a converted try on 53 minutes to regain the lead and then they added a penalty for 25-17. But Stockton kept going, and in the closing minutes Jones added another penalty to gain a bonus point.
Stockton are at home to Northern on Saturday.
In Durham and Northumberland Division Two, Guisborough had a narrow 33-27 win over Hartlepool, and Redcar gained a morale-boosting 19-17 win at Seaham in their opening game in Durham and Northumberland Division Three.
Redcar are at home to Seghill on Saturday.
Yarm had a good 39-13 win over Hartlepool TDSOB in the same division.