Pennine League Division Two: Odsal Sedbergh 18 Stainland Stags 20

ODSAL Sedbergh fell to a heart-breaking last-gasp defeat following a highly-debatable touchdown against Stainland Stags at Odsal Rec.

Sedge realised they faced a tough task when the fleet-footed Stags tested their defence to the full in the opening salvoes before home stand-off Paul Bottomley spotted the narrowest of gaps to power through and touch down under the uprights, leaving centre Luke Dawson to add the extras.

The lead was shortlived, however, when the visitors raced back upfield from the kick-off to place a slide-rule kick behind the try line to force an error which allowed wingman Carl Hopkinson to pounce.

Stand-off Danny Rushworth landed the conversion, and they repeated the same move ten minutes later through Rushworth, who once again ensured full reward to make it 12-6.

Sedge then gifted the Halifax outfit another touchdown when they failed to collect a woeful touchline kick to let wingman Paul Berwick in at the flag but they resuscitated their chances when wingman Oliver Priestley skipped through the mud to beat three defenders on the flank to close the half at 16-10.

Sedge, now facing the slope in the driving rain, looked to be in for a drubbing but, as so often happens when on home soil, they took the game by the scruff of the neck by bombarding the Stags' line.

A flurry of punches led to full back Shaun Flynn receiving a yellow card, which was changed to red when he failed to exit with dignity, reducing the hosts to 12 men.

But they shook off the setback to produce a sustained attack which led to second-row forward Josh Tordoff powering over at the side of the uprights.

Dawson landed the extras to level the score at 16-16, and then breathed a sigh of relief when a Stags penalty kick sailed well wide after the restart.

There was an air of jubilation when Dawson appeared to have settled the points with a penalty after the Stags were caught offside but it soon turned to despair when the visitors established a foothold in the home red zone straight from the kick-off to plough through the standing water for a ping-pong borderline touchdown out wide that, fortunately for them, went in Stainland’s favour.