Underbank Rangers are celebrating Pennine League Second Division promotion.

Coach Richard Wilde’s men guaranteed their place in Division I with a hard-fought 20-12 triumph at third-placed Hunslet Parkside.

And the result will put the leaders in confident mood in their bid to pip CK Vikings for the title.

But they were made to battle all the way to secure their most important victory of the season so far, with Tom Senior marking his return to the Underbank fold by passing to Jayden Covell-Wood to make it 6-6 at the break.

Hunslet nudged 12-6 ahead at the start of the second half, but from then on Rangers were on top.

In the 55th minute Tom Stringer fed the ball to Senior who came on a fantastic angle to score by the posts and with seven minutes remaining Rangers produced the best move of the match, with Senior, Dayle King, Stringer and Luke Pogson combining to send Covell-Wood in under the posts, with Pogson adding his third conversion to make it 18-12,

Pogson then slotted over a 75th-minute penalty to seal a contest in which David Jackson was named man-of-the-match, while special mention should also go to 17-year-old Steve Kilner who didn’t take a backward step or look out of place at this level on debut.

Rangers will, of course, be hoping to celebrate a League and Cup double this season as they will be in Holliday Cup final action at Huddersfield YMCA on Easter Monday.

They will be coming up against St Joseph’s, who will be hoping to show better derby form than they did during their 18-10 home Division I defeat to Newsome Panthers.

Joe’s struggled to make an early impact against their visitors and fell 10-0 behind before winger Mickey Cameron opened his side’s scoring after collecting a George Stott cross-field kick to make it 10-4 at the interval.

The home side also started the second half slowly and with 12 minutes remaining were trailing 16-4.

But it then got interesting when centre Richard Aka crossed for a try, converted by winger Nick Mitchell, to reduce Newsome’s lead to a converted score.

Joe’s then threw everything at the Panthers in a bid to draw level, with man-of-the-match stand-off Stott leading the way, but a later Panthers penalty ended their late rally and sealed their fate.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed this season’s JJ Conlan Memorial Trophy final will be held at the YMCA on Friday, April 17.

RESULTS

Huddersfield ARL JJ Conlan Memorial Trophy. Round I: Meltham All Blacks 34 Emley Moor 42 (0-24 Without Handicap).

Pennine Presidents Cup. Round III: Queens 8 West Bowling 16.

Andrew Bennett Memorial Trophy. Round III: Greetland All Rounders 4 Boothtown Terriers 18, West Leeds 38 Stainland Stags 10.

Pennine Supplementary Cup. Round IV: Ovenden 18 Brighouse Rangers A 0 (Walkover).

Pennine League. Championship I Division: Allerton Bywater 14 Doncaster Toll Bar 24, King Cross Park 26 Odsal Sedbergh 18, Morley Borough 20 Batley Boys 16, St Joseph’s 10 Newsome Panthers 18.

Division I: Dalton 22 Ossett Trinity 33, Lindley Swifts 30 Victoria Rangers 0, Sharlston Rovers A 26 Siddal 16.

Division II: Hunslet Club Parkside 12 Underbank Rangers 20, Wyke postponed CK Vikings.

Division III: Kinsley Raiders 12 Clayton 16, Whinmoor Warriors 10 Crigglestone All Blacks 46.

Division IV: Farnley Falcons 24 Dearne Valley Bulldogs 22, Selby Warriors 48 Wortley Dragons 16, Wakefield City 12 Crofton Cougars 40, West Bowling A 0 Sherburn Bears 30.

Division V: Keighley Albion 44 Moorends Thorne Marauders 12.

Division VI East: Dewsbury Moor A 16 Doncaster Toll Bar A 10, Ryhill Hammers 12 Leeds Underdogs 48.

Division VI West: Boothtown Terriers A 6 Illingworth A 26, Cowling Harlequins 18 Greetland All Rounders A 0, Odsal Sedbergh A 12 Wyke A 10, Queensbury B 30 King Cross Park A 0, Victoria Rangers A 10 Worth Village 26.