There was great relief for Ian Rooney and his men when they ended a run of three straight defeats with an exciting 34-32 home win over Leigh Miners Rangers.
Wath Brow needed to get back to winning ways to maintain their challenge in the NCL Premier Division, but they were missing some key players for the visit of the Rangers.
It was a game which could have gone either way and, indeed, the lead changed hands four times before the Hornets edged it. A Rangers try four minutes from the end would have set up a draw but the conversion attempt drifted wide.
Tries from Andy Badrock (2), Liam Kenyon and Jack Hamer helped the visitors into a 22-16 interval lead with Greg Howland, Dan Burns and Ellison Holgate replying for the Hornets.
Morgan McCourt scored again for the Hornets after the restart only for Noah Lancelott to go in for the Rangers and it was still nip and tuck. Holgate’s second try and a Cole Walker-Taylor conversion, put them level.
Six minutes from time Aidan Dawson crossed and Walker-Taylor added his fifth goal to give Hornets the advantage, but they had to wait anxiously for the conversion attempt to go wide after Adam Thomason scored Rangers’ sixth try.
Neighbours Egremont are still sitting next-to-bottom after going down at home again, this time 28-10 to third-in-the-table Thatto Heath.
But early in the second-half the Rangers were very much in contention as they only trailed 12-10.
It had been 12-4 at half-time with Matty Bewsher crossing for Egremont and then early in the second-half Quinn Wright went over and Billy Thompson’s conversion cut the deficit to two points.
But the Crusaders responded strongly and scored three more tries, two of them converted to seal the win.
In Divisions One and Two Cumbrian clubs now lead the way after defeats by the table toppers.
Hull Dockers went down 30-22 at Oulton in Division One so Kells’ 36-16 win at bottom side Milford took them to the summit.
It was a similar tale in Division Two where Crosfields were beaten 30-22 at home by Normanton Knights so a 40-16 win for Barrow Island at Dewsbury Moor put them in pole position.
Kells had established an 18-6 lead by half-time at Milford who have so far failed to register a point, and the Cumbrians went on to score 18 more points in the second-half.
Reece O’Neil, Mason Lewthwaite, Ryan Watson, Will Ennis, Jack Ainley and Dan Starkie all scored tries for Kells with Ross Gainford converting them all.
It was a similar tale for Barrow Island at Dewsbury Moor where they also led 18-6 at half-time and scored one more try than Kells in winning 40-16.
The touchdowns came from Ian Irvine, Aidan Wright, Nathan Sneesby, Max Anderson-Moore, Adam Ford, Dan Wright and Blain Marwood. Adam Jackson kicked six goals.
There was a terrific game in Division Three between the League’s two newest teams Seaton and Bentley which the west Cumbrians eventually won 32-26.
With 10 minutes left it was 20-20 but Seaton crucially scored two quick tries through Grant Reid and Lewis Mason, both converted by Dom Smallwood.
It meant that a late converted try for Bentley wasn’t able to change the destination of the two points.
Mark Surtees. Gary Taylor, Evan Nicholson and Billy Southward scored the earlier Seaton tries and Smallwood finished with four goals.
Hensingham were looking good for a win at half-time after playing well against Oldham St Anne’s to establish a 12-10 advantage.
But the Oldham side, the first team to topple leaders East Leeds the previous week, showed how they had done that by cutting loose in the second-half to finish 52-12 winners. With 42 unanswered second-half points it was quite a performance by the visitors.
Logan Holgate and player coach Jesse Joe Parker had scored the Hensingham tries, both converted by Noel Branthwaite.
East Leeds bounced back from that St Anne’s defeat to win 28-8 at Millom after establishing a 16-4 lead by half time.
Jonty Peters scored both tries for Millom who remain fourth bottom with Hensingham two places lower.
