Cleckheaton came away with two league points following their first competitive encounter on a 3G pitch at Burnage last weekend. This will be viewed by the team as two points lost rather than two points gained, after another performance which was relatively mediocre by standards set earlier in the season and lacked composure at key points of the game.

The home side opened the scoring on 3 minutes with a penalty goal from Adam Knight. Cleckheaton responded straightaway when a high kick from father to be, Michael Piper, wasn't caught on the full by the home team and the bounce propelled the ball into the hands of the leaping Danny Vento for a simple try. Ross Hayden added the extras. Poor discipline gave Burnage easy field position and another 3 points via a penalty goal, whilst Ben Thrower was given 10 minutes in the sin bin. Still down to 14 men, a touch of class from Hayden saw the full back glide through the Burnage three quarter line for Cleckheaton's second try. The conversion attempt drifted wide but Hayden also added a penalty goal just before half time to give his team a 15-6 lead at the break.

Cleckheaton started the second period by putting the ball out on the full and then went on to concede a number of penalties, which strained their composure. Tempers flared and the superior rugby from Cleckheaton was replaced by threats and fisticuffs, which levelled the match right out. Burnage had a man sin-binned during the fracas but a break from centre, Stuart Oldham, for a long range try put the home side back in the game. A penalty goal from Knight narrowed the scores further, to a paper thin14-15. Cleckheaton looked seemingly to have regained control when Lee Queeley tip-toed down the touch line following good hands from Jack Bickerdike and Rob Afoa Peterson, for a try in the corner. Man of the Match, Ross Hayden, converted to put the Moorenders two scores in front at 22-14 with less than 10 minutes remaining. Calm heads would surely have seen the game out with a victory but it wasn't to be. More ill discipline and infringements gave Burnage impetus and inside centre, Knight, charged in for an unconverted try. With only seconds remaining, Cleckheaton nervously defended a scrum and tap penalty close to their line before a further penalty, deemed to be the last play by the referee, was slotted through the sticks by Burnage to land them a 22-22 draw.

Cleckheaton will be disappointed in how they let this game slip away. Their line-out was under pressure yet again and confidence seems to have slipped in this area, whilst too much sniping at each other, the opposition and the referee took their focus away from playing good rugby. This Saturday Cleckheaton host Sheffield Tigers and a more composed, focussed performance with be needed to prevent the threat of a mauling by them but the team know they have it within them to beat the very best at Fortress Moorend.