Underbank Rangers have gained back-to-back National Conference League play-off promotions after mounting a remarkable final fightback at Leigh East.
Just a year after beating Crosfields to secure promotion to Division II, player-coach Richard Knight’s men guaranteed they’ll be playing in the First Division next season after a truly dramatic 28-24 play-off final triumph at Leigh Sports Village.
Trailing 22-4 at half-time, it looked as if the men from The Cross were doomed.
But after the inspirational Knight rallied his troops with a rousing half-time speech that reaffirmed his belief that the players had the character, ability and determination to turn things around and still win a game that looked lost, everything went exactly according to plan.
His charges responded magnificently to score five second-half tries to leave their hosts stunned.
With the teams locked at 24-24 with just two minutes remaining and the game heading into extra-time and the golden-point scenario, winger Johnathan Tinker touched down a Knight chip-kick to the corner to claim the winning try for the Holmfirth-based side and seal promotion that hardly looked likely at the start of September on the back of five defeats in six games.
Since then, Bank had not looked back, with a five-game unbeaten run ending in the dream final scenario.
And despite the loss of outstanding co-captain Kris Harrop with a dislocated shoulder suffered during the previous week’s semi-final success at Blackbrook, it looked as if normal service would be continuing in Leigh as Craig Williams ran a great line to hit a superb Knight pass to race over unopposed from 20m for an unconverted seventh-minute score.
Both defences were to the fore for the next period of play, with full-back Chris Druett and props Dave Valentine, Kurt Selmes and Dan Farrand putting in huge defensive efforts, while back-rowers Michael Murphy and Mitch Turner were at the heart of all good things with strong carries.
But schoolboy errors then began to creep into Underbank’s game, allowing Littlewood (2), Grainey and Holland to take full advantage to cross and give Leigh East their 18-point interval advantage.
Underbank needed a quick start to the second half to get a foothold in the battle, and they did so after 47 minutes as Knight put up a huge, spiralling bomb that the Leigh fullback couldn’t defuse and the loose ball was picked up by left winger Courtney Allette to race over.
Luke Pogson was unable add the extras, but Easts desperation to get points was ably demonstrated by their decision to kick a penalty goal for interference after 52 minutes.
This strange decision visibly lifted Underbank and the remainder of the half belonged to them as they steadily cranked up the pressure on the hosts and forced five goal line drop-outs as the home side struggled to gain any field position on the scraps of possession they had, with centres Paul Reilly and Alex Chatterton stifling any wide movement by the home side.
Powerhouse forward Luke Nelmes continued the fightback by bustling over from a couple of metres after being fed by replacement hooker Stephen Berry, who was making his 100th appearance for the club’s senior side.
Stand-off Joel Croker added the conversion and he did again after the 67th minutes after threading though a lovely kick for the supporting Turner to expertly pick up and slide over the Leigh line.
Rangers only trailed by four points with almost 13 minutes left of a pulsating game, and they levelled matters with five minutes remaining as Nelmes galloped over from 20m to complete his brace after Knight’s precision pass had put him through a huge gap, although Croker pulled his conversion wide.
But with the momentum firmly in Underbank’s favour, the visitors scented the kill and duly obliged as Tinker touched down after the Leigh full-back had fumbled Knight’s kick and Rangers led 28-24.
The game restarted with a minute left and Underbank successfully defused the short kick-off and ran the clock down to the referee’s final whistle.
Jubilant and emotional scenes ensued from players, staff and spectators to celebrate a remarkable and unexpected turnaround as Underbank clinched a richly-deserved promotion to Division I in 2016.
