Cleckheaton scaled the ‘Hills’ on a wet and windy day at Moorend. A morning inspection showed the pitch to be in relatively good condition, with predicted overnight rain largely missing the Spen Valley. However as kick off approached, so did the maelstrom and the majority of the match was played against a backdrop of unwelcome hail and gale. Such conditions are often a great leveller but Cleckheaton showed the maturity that they have gained over the course of this season with a controlled, dominating performance that brought them 4 tries, whilst keeping their visitors scoreless.

Wheatley Hills did have an early opportunity to take the lead but a penalty kick by Johnny Woodcock drifted wide. After this early incursion into the Moorenders territory, the visitors were restricted to their own half for the majority of the opening forty minutes. With the weather conditions effecting handling, balls were inevitably spilled, particularly in the contact area but Cleckheaton gradually made their way up field. The opening try came from Martin Woodhead when, despite the conditions, slick handling from Matt Piper and Ross Hayden put the winger in at the corner. Hayden then brightened the afternoon for the windswept supporters with a conversion from the touchline and minutes later added a penalty to give Cleckheaton a 10 - 0 lead. The Moorenders continued to take the game to their visitors and powerful runs from Ryan Piercy, Rob Afoa Peterson and Richard Piper, took play within inches of the line. A swift pass from Jack Bickerdike and a convincing dummy from Mike Piper, saw the latter wrong-foot the defence and walk in for Cleckheaton’s second try. Hayden added the extras. Wheatley Hills enjoyed their best period of the half in the last 5 minutes when, for the first time in the game, they put genuine pressure on Cleckheaton’s line. The solid defence, that has seen the side concede an average of less than 10 points per game at Moorend this season, held firm but not without casualty, as Alex Dawson was deemed to have deliberately slowed down play and was sent to the sin bin with just seconds remaining to the break.

Cleckheaton turned round to play the second half into the now horizontal hailstone but gaining comfort from a 17 – 0 lead. Wheatley Hills built on their minor resurgence at the end of the first period and battered Cleckheaton’s 14 man defence. Whenever the home side managed to turn over the ball, a clearance kick followed, but in every case the power of the elements meant only a few yards were gained. Cleckheaton battled hard and eventually worked their way up field. Now restored to their full compliment, a penalty gave the Moorenders a line out on Hills’ 22. The normally solid catch and drive never really got going in the conditions but instead a plethora of forward drives put Wheatley on the back foot and when Rob Afoa-Peterson picked up at the back of the ruck, he was just too strong for the defence to hold out.

The visitors continued to pin Cleckheaton in their own half using the wind to their advantage and whilst the game was not in doubt in the last 10 minutes, the shivering crowd’s thoughts turned to whether Cleckheaton would have the opportunity for another try scoring bonus point, or whether Wheatley Hills would join the very short list of sides to deny them that this year. Cleckheaton’s Captain Fantastic, Richard Piper, answered the conundrum when he ran onto a short pass from Bickerdike and somehow managed to get traction in the mud, whilst the 3 would–be defenders could not, and drove his way over the line from 10m out. Hayden converted from in front of the sticks with the last action of the match.

A draw between Rochdale and Huddersfield YMCA has advanced Cleckheaton into a 17 point lead at the top of North 1 East. The league takes a break for Yorkshire Cup action next weekend but then Cleckheaton have the mouth-watering prospect of playing their two closest league opponents on consecutive weekends, starting with West Hartlepool away on 8th Feb, followed by Huddersfield YMCA at home the week after. If Ian Armitage’s men can come through those games with two victories, then Cleckheaton truly can start to look forward to a return to the National Leagues next season.