SLAITHWAITE SARACENS are celebrating an excellent weekend in which they significantly strengthened their bid for the Third Division crown.
As well as claiming a big 74-22 triumph at Hoyland Vikings, the Huddersfield club will also have taken great delight in the 18-10 defeat suffered by leaders Bank Top Harriers, who are now just two League points ahead and have played two more games.
The Saracens also boast a far more impressive points difference – they have a plus total of 394 compared to the Harriers’ 283 – and that was, of course, helped by the margin of victory over the Vikings.
Slaithwaite got off to a slow start and conceded the opening try.
But as soon as Joe Fitzpatrick burst through to level the scores and Dave Holmes added the conversions, there was only going to be one winner.
By half-time, the visitors had opened up a 32-16 advantage with further tries from Mick Bostock (2), Mick Mellor, Chris Lodge and Holmes, who also added three of the conversions.
Within two minutes of the restart, Lodge had extended the lead as points were scored at a rate of over one a minute.
By the end of the contest, Bostock had finished with four tries, while Holmes added a second and Richard Flooks, Kyle Dyson, Darren Hawkyard, and Adam Warner also crossed.
Holmes backed up his two tries with eight goals, with Lodge also chipping in with a goal.
There was also cause for celebration for fellow Third Division side Lindley Swifts, who kept in the title race with a 28-6 triumph at Odsal Sedbergh.
Underbank Rangers’ march up the Division IV table continued with a 42-10 triumph over bottom club Silsden Park Rangers.
Craig Charlesworth led the way with a hat trick, while Nick Bellas and Dave Oxtoby both crossed twice. There were also tries from Andy Mullan and Lee Devlin, with John Birt landing three goals.
But times are still tough for Meltham All Blacks, who were beaten 30-6 at home by the title-chasing Wortley Dragons.
