Cleckheaton claimed a hard-fought win in very testing conditions at Marl Pits. A late revival from Rossendale, in gale force conditions, looked to have denied them but tremendous team spirit and collective desire got them into position to score a winning try and claim a bonus point to go with it!

Rossendale have a proud home record, with Sale the only visiting team to claim victory way back in September. The sloping pitch and viciously cold wind offered a daunting prospect but Cleckheaton had played at the top of their game the previous week and had the capability to take this match to Rossendale. Both teams are underpinned by a robust set of forwards and it was within that arena that the game would be won or lost. Cleckheaton, playing down the hill in the first half, seemed to be on top and enjoyed territorial advantage. Despite bulldozing runs from Richard Piper, Alex Dawson, Carl Mason and Paul Turner it was the backs that would eventually break through. A quick pass from Jack Bickerdike to Mike Piper, found Martin Woodhead in some space and though initially held short, Woodhead clung on to the ball whilst his teammates drove him over the line for a try. Ross Hayden’s conversion attempt fell victim to the wind.

Rossendale had only made a handful of in-roads into Cleckheaton’s territory in the opening 20 minutes but shortly after the Moorenders’ try, the visitors did not securely gather a kick through and Rossendale’s winger dived on the ball for an equalising score. Cleckheaton’s forwards built pressure time and again as the half rolled on but once more it was the backs that got the breakthrough. Matt Piper threw the ball wide to Lee Queeley, who showed it to James Wilson before charging to the line. The Rossendale defenders thought they had tackled Cleckheaton’s wingman but Queeley had the strength to carry them both over the line for a second try. Hayden judged the wind correctly and put Cleckheaton 12-5 in front. With the last play of the half the Moorenders infringed close to their sticks and Steve Nutt slotted a penalty to reduce Rossendale’s arrears.

Danny Vento had to leave the field towards the end of the first half with a calf strain and Richard Piper was also substituted at the interval with a recurrence of his shoulder injury, however he would re-join the fray before the game was done. They were replaced in the back row by Jack Seddon and Josh White and it was the latter that would score next. A catch and drive from Cleckheaton gathered momentum and just as the home side thought they were stopping the push, White broke off to the right and grounded the ball over the line. At 17-8 Cleckheaton looked to be in command but with more than 20 minutes to go things could change and they did. Rossendale could not break through Cleckheaton’s formidable defence by running straight at it or trying to run round it so they resorted to kicking through. Another misfield gave the home side a scrum in a dangerous position close to Cleckheaton’s line. Rossendale tried to push over and Cleckheaton were adjudged to have stopped them illegally, leading to a penalty try. The conversion under the sticks brought the scores within 2 points. Jim Crowther took to the field replacing Ben Thrower who had worked tirelessly. Cleckheaton made head way back into Rossendale’s half and won a penalty. In ordinary circumstances 3 points would have been in the bag but with the wind Cleckheaton opted for the corner. Unfortunately the ball was spilled at the line-out and Rossendale pounced on it. Despite the efforts of Queeley, Wilson and Hayden chasing down the home side’s flying wingman, they could not haul him in before he crossed the line for an almost length of the field try. Cleckheaton were suddenly 20-17 down and up against it. As with last week, the team were not in the mood to concede and attacked Rossendale with vigour. Ollie Akroyd had a couple of incisive runs from the No.8 position and Rob Afoa Peterson was immense and deservedly earned Man of the Match. With Cleckheaton pressing Rossendale’s 22, Mike Piper spotted space on the right and chipped a perfectly waited kick to the corner, which was gathered by Ross Hayden for Cleckheaton’s bonus point try. Rossendale tried in vain to keep the ball alive in injury time but a knock on after around 20 phases brought the game to close and landed Cleckheaton a bonus point win.

Mother Nature herself hailed Cleckheaton’s victory as tiny pieces of ice, transformed into tiny bullets by the howling wind, rained into the faces of the players and the crowd as the final whistle blew. Despite the meteorological sandblasting, the smiles remained firmly affixed to the faces of the jubilant Cleckheaton contingent and Rossendale were ever gracious in defeat, with hospitality before, during and after the game second to none.

Cleckheaton have now made it 9 wins out of the last 10 league games, with the defeat at Sheffield Tigers in mid November the only blemish. Prior to that you have to go back to the start of October where Cleckheaton lost two games in a row to league leaders Sandal and bogey team, Huddersfield YMCA. These two teams now make up Cleckheaton’s next two fixtures, both at home starting with Sandal on Saturday. These are two games the team would dearly like to win and if they play like they have in the last two games, then they will give themselves every chance of doing so.