Ince Rose Bridge won their way through to the Division One Play-Off Final at Featherstone with a commanding performance against Crosfields.
The hosts scored nine tries in total and were indebted to the experienced Kieron Eccleston who made them tick with a creative performance from loose forward that helped half-backs TJ Boyd and Mason Fillingham and hooker Byron Aspinall also impressed.
It proved a game too far for Crosfields who were missing several regulars, naming hooker Jack Nolan on the wing and prop Tom Smith in the centres while there was also a starting spot for retiring Matt Barber. The Warrington side have had a solid season, finishing 6th and will be hoping to build on this next year.
Eccleston opened the scoring after 8 minutes with a penalty goal and the hosts scored their first try five minutes later when a high hick was spilled by Crosfields fullback Jamie Abram and Peter Valentine swept up to claim his 13th try of the year.
After 18 minutes Ince had their second try when Fillingham ran and kicked on, before recovering and sliding a second kick wide that found Callum Hughes running through to claim the first of an eventual hat-trick. Crosfields mounted some pressure of their own but when Ben Steele threw an ambitious pass right, TJ Boyd intercepted and raced 60 metres before feeding the supporting Jack Heaton for the first of his treble.
Just two minutes later 18-0 became 24-0 when Aspinall broke from dummy half and fed Kye Malone, then just before the break, Aspinall broke again and Hughes appeared at his shoulder to dive under the posts and Eccleston nudged over his fifth goal for a 30-0 home advantage.
Crosfields rallied in the second half when Tom Millington ran over the top of three defenders and Brad Stanway goaled, but Ince Rose Bridge responded with a flowing move left and Heaton scored his second try at the corner after 50 minutes. When Crosfields lost the ball inside their own half eight minutes later, Eccleston kicked on and TJ Boyd won the race and Eccleston kicked his sixth and final goal from wide out.
Heaton and Hughes scored their trebles within minutes of each other as the host's threatened to really cut loose in the final quarter, before Crosfields won respect in the last fifteen minutes, forcing a succession of drop-outs before Barber blasted through under the posts in the last minute and kicked the goal to make the final score 48-12.
Ince Rose Bridge will face off against Dewsbury Moor Maroons for the right to go into the National Conference Premier Division after the hosts held off a spirited Oulton Raiders 32-18 at Maroon Park.
Top Maroons scorer Jack Butterfield and Harry Hartley got the host's away to a flier, but Oulton responded with tries from Matt Stableford and Kieron Walpole to level the scores. George Woodcock scored for Dewsbury Moor with Hartley tagging on two goals to make it 20-12 and two more home tries in the last few minutes to Butterfield and Brad Adams secured their place with Harvey Stevens adding a late consolation for the visitors.
Hunslet ARLFC will take on Siddal in the NCL Premier Division Grand Final after they were able to turn the tables on West Hull when it mattered most. West Hull had beaten the Leeds side twice in the league but play-off rugby seems to bring the best out of this Hunslet team, who have already beaten Wath Brow Hornets and Rochdale Mayfield.
West Hull took the lead through Ryan Steen's try and Ryan Wilson's conversion and although Hunslet responded in the 24th minute through Jake Dearden, they trailed a close contest until the 69th minute when Josh McLelland scored. Two minutes later Tyler Dagan put daylight between the teams before Danny Rowse broke West Hull hearts with a try in the last minute and converted to ensure the 18-6 victory.
- Division One Play-Off Final: Ince Rose Bridge v Dewsbury Moor Maroons (Saturday 5 October, K.O. 1pm)
- Premier Division Grand Final: Siddal v Hunslet ARLFC (Saturday 5 October, K.O. 3pm)
Both games will be live streamed with details to be confirmed later in the week via the NCL X/Twitter page.
