LIVERSEDGE -10 – SILSDEN PARK RANGERS -27.

Liversedge have only been beaten once this season in the Pennine League Division 2, and seemed to be well up for this game by opening the scoring after 12 minutes with a well worked try after a break down the left wing but could not add the conversion.  Silsden’s good form of late seemed to be missing , and it looked like being a bad day with only 2 subs available, and Chris Spencer injuring his ankle during the warm up and not being able to take any part in the game. Silsden’s ball handling let them down and too many unforced errors early in the tackle count gave Liversedge good field position, but solid defence from Lee Shaw and Chris Greenwood, and props Ed Billings and Mark Adams steadied the rangers.  The pressure built and loose forward Lee Shaw finally broke Liversedge’s defence with a well-worked solo effort.  Andy Bowness added the extras to complete a low scoring half 6-4 to the visitors.

Silsden came out in very determined mood in the second half, and immediately put the home side on the back foot when a crunching tackle from Silsden’s Tony Fella forced a knock-on, and from the resulting scrum, good ball handling from Silsden’s man of the match Jon Gwilliam put Tony Fella into space when he crashed over the line under the sticks.  Andy Bowness duly obliged with the extras.  Silsden then dominated in all areas, and went further ahead with a barnstorming try from prop Ed Billings after some excellent work from the Silsden backs led by Captain Neil Jordan.  Bowness was unable to convert from out wide.  Silsden then should have sewn the game up, but a resolute Liversedge refused to lie down, and narrowed the score to only 6 points with a length of the field try from their very speedy winger who out paced the Silsden cover to score a converted try under the sticks.  The game was now in the balance.  Either side was in with a great chance, but it was Silsden who forged further ahead when Matt Bowness saw a gap down the blind side and scooted from dummy half only to be tackled 3 metres short of the line, but in the very muddy conditions, his momentum slid him to the line.  His brother could not convert but Silsden now led by 10 points.  With just minutes left on the clock, Jon Gwilliam took the opportunity to drop a field goal, and in the dying seconds, Silsden’s captain Neil Jordan shouted for a ball from Chris Langdale and his beautifully weighted pass put Jordan into a gap, and his pace and agility allowed him to sidestep around the cover defence to score under the posts.  Andy Bowness converted to give a final score of Liversedge 10, Silsden Park Rangers 27.