Wath Brow Hornets are intent on going one better than last season’s reduced season when they lost in the grand final to Thatto Heath.
They started their National Conference Premier Division campaign with a fine 36-20 home in over Challenge Cup giant killers Lock Lane.
Going into the final quarter of the game Hornets only held a 24-20 lead but they pulled clear with two tries from Peter Caddy (67, 80). Cole Walker-Taylor landed a penalty and conversion to seal the win.
Connor Molyneux, Nathan Lucock, Sam Curwen and Charlie Tomlinson had scored first-half tries, along with four goals by Walker-Taylor to lead 24-14 at half time.
Lock Lane, who had shocked Oldham in the Challenge Cup, had briefly led 12-10 in the first-half with two tries from Bailey O’Connor, and after the break they closed up with tries from Alfie Goddard and Callum Butler. Nathan Fozzard kicked two goals.
It wasn’t a good start for Egremont as they lost 28-0 at home to Hunslet Club Parkside, who had put in a very good performance a week earlier in a Challenge Cup clash with Sheffield.
They had too much power and class, even without injuries to some key players, and the bonus to the win was keeping a clean sheet against an enthusiastic Egremont side who failed to make an impression.
The visitors had established a 16-0 lead by half-time even though they had Elliot Morgan sin-binned early on for a high tackle.
Will Cohen, Richie Westwood and Connor Squires scored first-half tries with Andy Hullock landing two conversions.
There wasn’t much change in the balance of the game afterwards and Parkside eased home with tries from Westwood and Omar Alwari with two more goals for Hullock. To round off a disappointing day for Egremont they had Pat Wells sinbinned late on for a high tackle.
Kells should have opened-up in Division One at Featherstone Lions but the game was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.
Barrow Island started in League Two at Crosfields in Warrington and were beaten 28-18 despite fighting back level after early set-backs.
Trailing 18-4 at the break they came back into the contest with tries from Jon Walsh and Sam Jones, to add to Adam Ford’s early touchdown. Max Moore converted two and added a penalty on 64 minutes.
But it was Crosfield who regained the upper hand as Joe Barnes completed his hat-trick of tries with Luke Walker also crossing. Jack Fox scored the early try with Jack Lewis kicking four goals.
In Division we have highlighted Seaton Rangers’ fine win but county neighbours Hensingham and Millom were both beaten.
Hensingham had travelled to Seaton’s fellow new boys Bentley and were beaten 24-6 after conceding two converted tries in the first ten minutes. Jarod Roach and Marty Hall both crossed for the Doncaster side with Roach improving both.
The West Cumbrians were back in it by half-time when player-coach Jessie Joe Parker scored a try, converted by Noel Braithwaite.
It stayed 12-6 until the hour mark but then Ryan Caswell scored the crucial third try for Bentley, converted by Roach and in the closing stages they wrapped-up the win with a fourth try by Craswell, again converted by Roach.
Millom were also in Yorkshire where they went down 22-0 at Batley Boys. First-half tries by Ryan Leadbeater and Ryan Crossley were added to later on by Thomas Ripley and Charlie Sandell. Dan Winner kicked three goals.
