UNDERBANK Rangers returned to their best of form with a comfortable 11-try 56-10 derby victory over Dewsbury Celtic.

Underbank’s performance in the first 40 minutes was one of their best in their table-topping Cooperative Conference National season.

However, Dewsbury started brightly and opened the scoring after just three minutes.

Half backs Paul Heaton and Danny Crabtree started the move but the ball didn’t reach its intended target as it was batted down by the home defence only for Celtic’s lock forward Joe Diskin to react first to the loose ball and crash over the line. Full back Pat Foulstone added the extras.

However, the good start was undone with wing Jason Muranka fumbling the restart kick and from the scrum centre Nick Briggs and prop Craig Williams set up the position for skipper Lee St Hilaire to open the Rangers account.

Richard Knight missed the conversion on a difficult day for goal kicking in the blustery conditions, but Knight did convert five minutes later after centre Adam Ryder scorched over for his first try.

Rangers were in complete control at this point led by their dominant pack of forwards and they were forcing Dewsbury into making numerous errors in possession.

Briggs was next to cash in as he latched onto a flighted kick from Knight and left wing Shaun Smith caught a Jack Mitchell kick to notch his first of an impressive hat trick of tries.

At 18-6 down Dewsbury could have put up the white flag at this stage, but didn’t do so and they had a decent chance to score next as Pat Foulstone beat Briggs on his outside and raced downfield, but the young full back kicked ahead instead of taking on the defence.

This proved costly as Rangers then took a stranglehold on the game with two tries before the break.

Sam Cummings rumbled up field to establish the position from where the ball was moved quickly to the left through Stephen Berry and Ryder for wing Smith to grab his second, and then on the last play of the half, Knight once more judged a kick to perfection for Smith to complete his third hat trick of a productive debut season – with Knight’s conversion Underbank led by 22 points at the break.

For the visitors to gain anything from the match they had to strike early in the second period and so they did with the pacy Pat Foulstone stepping his way through the home defence.

Celtic then enjoyed their best period of the game with back rower Liam Walmsley being twice held up over the line and left wing Tom Kilroy had a score overturned after a forward pass.

Rangers stepped up another gear with five superb second half tries and Ryder grabbed his second following a break from Williams.

Chris Geoghegan bullied his way through for the first of his two scores of the final 20 minutes either side of scores for St Hilaire and Briggs, who both completed try scoring braces in a satisfying display for the minor premiers.

Underbank Rangers: Hendrick; Midgley, Briggs, Ryder, Smith; Knight, Berry; Williams, Mitchell, Dalby, Housley, Joyce, St Hilaire. Replacements (all used): Carroll, Geoghegan, Cummings, Horsfall.

Dewsbury Celtic: P Foulstone; Muranka, Millington, M Foulstone, Kilroy; D Crabtree, Heaton; A Walmsley, Waters, Smith, Norris, L Walmsley, Diskin. Replacements (all used): Perks, Kilroy, Powell, N Crabtree.

Referee: Robert Webb

Results: Featherstone Lions 29 Kippax Knights 22, Underbank Rangers 58 Dewsbury Celtic 10, Nottingham Outlaws 54 Warrington Wizards 42, Coventry Bears 18 Valley Cougars 58, Bramley Buffaloes 12 Hemel Stags 30.