Cleckheaton displayed excellent character and put in a performance full of passion to maintain their unbeaten home record and gain a bonus point win over Billingham. There were a significant number of changes from the team selected to play at Sheffield Tigers the previous week. Rob Afoa Peterson, Tom Austin and Lee Queeley were all out with injuries, Sam Wood has resumed his duties with the Huddersfield Giants Academy and 4 additional players had also ruled themselves out of the fixture. Despite the changes, the wider squad players that were drafted in, gave it their all, putting in a great team performance to claim a match that was finely balanced throughout. The win allowed Cleckheaton to leap frog their opponents, who were immediately above them in the league standings before the game started.

Cleckheaton’s opening score came early in the match when Billingham kicked to clear their lines and the ball was fielded close to half way by Ross Hayden. A couple of sublime steps from the Fullback and an injection of pace, took him past two defenders for a try in the corner. The same player added the extras from the touchline. Billingham hit back when some risky off-loading managed to stick in the hands and eventually created space on the right flank for Dan Finney to score. Pete Evans added the conversion to level things up.

Cleckheaton started to show their dominance in the scrum with front row of Callum Thompson, Ben Thrower and Alex Dawson overpowering their opposition to take the first of what would be several against the head. Grant Turton and Carl Mason provided the engine room behind them and the Moorenders were able to pile the pressure on Billingham’s line. The visitors found it difficult to clear their 22 and whilst they repelled several Cleckheaton attacks, the home side kept their shape, recycled well and eventually Callum Thompson forced his way over for an unconverted try. Cleckheaton continued to attack with, Captain Jack Bickerdike and Martin Woodhead testing the defence with some well timed up and unders. A break from Jarrad Toulson also bore promise of another score but Billingham managed to hold firm. As the half drew to a close, a rare lapse in what had been a very well defended line, allowed the visitors’ Pete Evans to dive over in the corner to level matters at 12 all at the break.

Billingham took the lead in the second half with a penalty goal from in front of the posts. Cleckheaton responded with passion and self-belief. Danny Vento at inside centre making impressive headway with his shimming runs, which put Billingham on the back foot. The back row of Ollie Akroyd, Jack Seddon and Josh White were dynamic and worked tirelessly to support the break down all game. From one such ruck, Seddon dived down the blindside beating the first line of defence and feeding Ross Hayden for his second of the afternoon. The conversion attempt hit the post leaving Cleckheaton with a 2 point lead. Coach Ian Armitage, brought on fresh legs with Gareth Lamb, Jim Crowther and Robin Bennett coming on for Toulson, Thrower and Seddon who were all applauded for their tremendous efforts. Cleckheaton conceded a penalty goal that put them a point behind and also put the hearts in the mouths of the crowd on the touchline. However, the esprit de corps would carry Cleckheaton through and when James Wilson added his weight to a rolling maul set up by the Forwards and Craig Blackburn and Hayden did the same, the momentum looked unstoppable. Billingham illegally pulled down Cleckheaton’s formation and the referee ran to the sticks to award a penalty try. The remaining 4 minutes seemed to take an age but eventually the whistle sounded for a very satisfying bonus point win.

Cleckheaton took pride in the shirt and played with tremendous team spirit, with Jack Bickerdike, at the helm on the day, deservedly earning himself man of the match. However there were also outstanding shifts put in by the other 17 men including Callum Thompson, Ben Thrower and Alex Dawson in the dominant front row and by Josh White and Jack Seddon on the flanks, as well as Ross Hayden showing his usual class. The game demonstrated the strong squad now available, with several of the players called up from the previous week’s Kestrels team setting out a claim for the shirt, as Cleckheaton go into a run of matches against 3 of the bottom 4 sides prior to Christmas.