Midlesborough 20 - 6 Cleckheaton

Middlesbrough ultimately deserved this bonus point win but for the first hour of the game most neutral spectators would have agreed that the visitors were controlling both possession and territory and looked the most likely outfit to win the game.
Throughout the month of February Cleckheaton have been building confidence with two wins and a draw bringing eleven points and increased pressure on rivals Rochdale for the third relegation place. Although Saturday was a setback the players should realise that Middlesbrough at full strength are a good side, mentally together with confidence and pace. For the majority of the match Cleck matched them but lapses of concentration in both the set scrum and in defence proved their downfall.
The first half was very open with both sides willing to push the ball out wide at regular intervals. Cleckheaton's Ross Hayden was prominent in several well constructed attacks with his elusive sidestep setting up good attacking positions well into Boro territory. Similarly the hosts launched several attacks but Cleck's defence was solid and the half remained scoreless going into the last five minutes.
Iain Gordon had the game's first chance of points when Cleck were awarded a penalty in the 38th minute. Unfortunately his effort was wide and when Boro responded with a fluid attack in injury time, hooker Richard Horton dived over following a rolling maul, for a try which was unconverted.
Owen Edwards replaced the ailing Mitch Ashworth at half time and the signs were promising when Cleck took the lead following two successful Iain Gordon penalties in the 52nd and 54th minutes. At the same time Boro were reduced to fourteen men when second row Martin Dixon was sinbinned for playing the ball on the ground and in front of the posts.
For some unknown reason Cleckheaton started to lose vital set piece possession and from one such strike against the head, live-wire scrum half and skipper Peter Wright took the chance to burst through a gap for a fine individual try. The score was unconverted but the Boro captain repeated the feat when he took a quick tap penalty in the 70th minute and once more beat the covering defence for another good try created out of nothing.
Iain Gordon missed a penalty chance in the 71st minute which would, at that point, have put Cleck in a losing bonus point position. However,in the last minute the hosts widened the gap when hooker Richard Horton once more finished off a good move for a try wide out. The score again remained unconverted.
A disappointing result for the resurgent Cleckheaton team but this should serve as a warning that good sides exploit lapses in concentration. Intermittent lapses punctuated the second half which enabled Boro to regain their composure and effectively score each time they visited Cleck territory. The visitors were not so clinical with their execution and despite often dominating territory could not convert pressure into points.