SLAITHWAITE Saracens have finally clinched the Pennine League Second Division title!
The silverware was secured after an easy 44-6 victory at Bank Top Harriers, with the title secured ahead of their final game of the season at home to second-placed Westgate Wolves, who for so long had led the table.
And Slaithwaite will be desperate to win that final midweek game to guarantee they complete their League campaign unbeaten with 20 wins out of 20.
On top of that, the Saracens will also be keen to triumph to maintain their momentum ahead of their Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy final clash against Wibsey Warriors at Dewsbury Rams next Bank Holiday Monday.
But it would be something of a surprise if they didn’t win those two fixtures, given the form they showed in cruising to their title-clinching triumph at Bank Top, in which substitute Nathan Shaw marked the occasion with a second-half hat trick.
Even though they made a number of errors in the opening period against the Harriers, they were still 18-6 ahead at the break.
Simon Burkinshaw was the first to strike after seven minutes and Danny Garside landed the conversion.
Ten minutes later winger Kyle Dyson went in at the corner, for Garside to once again goal, and on the half hour Stuart Dunbar added try No3.
Garside continued to show top form with the conversions and made no mistake to make it 18-0 before the Harriers grabbed a converted try to reduce the deficit.
But within 15 minutes of the restart Shaw came on to complete a hat trick, the second try of which was a fantastic effort as he beat half the defence to score.
By this time Slaithwaite’s defence had settled down and in the last 10 minutes further tries came from Mick Mellor and Chris Lodge, while Garside added three more goals to seal another emphatic win and the divisional title.
Unfortunately, however, the last game of the season was not as positive for fellow Second Division side Newsome Panthers, who finished the season third after losing a midweek fixture 40-26 at Dearne Valley Bulldogs and then finishing with a walk-over win against Victoria Rangers.
