Methley Royals were edged out by Middleton Marauders in their final league game of the season.
Methley Royals 16Middleton Marauders 28The two teams will go head to head again on Saturday, May 2, in the CMS Yorkshire League's Unison Division Two Top Four semi-final at Middleton.
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email alerts from Middleton Today.The league defeat - Methley's first-ever reverse at Willowbridge in a league fixture - was deserved.
* Click here for latest Middleton, Hunslet & Belle Isle news.Middleton, aware that that victory could – if leaders Bentley lost at Wakefield City, which they didn't – snatch the title, looked hungrier throughout and prevailed despite having a player sent off and two others sin-binned in the closing quarter.
Methley, meanwhile, had assistant coach Terry Crosthwaite – at the helm in the continued absence through illness of Tony Handforth - dismissed for an over-enthusiastic approach on the touchline.
Without props John Laidler and Dean Tucker, and with halfback Dave Craven and fullback Danny Agar other notable absentees, Methley didn't quite get going until it was too late and have now finished third in the standings after having once harboured genuine hopes of the championship.
Middleton, whose Lee McMenamin bagged a hat-trick, went in front with an early try, the Royals bouncing back when centre Richard Scott weaved his way over the whitewash.
Scrum-half Tommy Skerrett's conversion attempt was ruled out by both official touch judges – to the consternation of members of the crowd in line with the shot - but the controversial ruling didn't matter in the final analysis.
The Marauders, whose other touchdowns went to Shaun Hammill (2) and Daz Brown, with Neil Orr landing a couple of goals, retrieved their lead with a converted touchdown in the 13th minute and took a real grip on the contest with three tries between the 29th and 38th minutes to forge a seemingly unassailable 24-4 interval lead.
Methley, to their credit, responded to the promptings of Crosthwaite and fellow helmsman Ernie Skerrett in style, with halfbacks Skerrett and Lee Starbuck regularly presenting problems.
With second row pair Simon Dickinson and Thomas Wheatley having massive games, providing solid support to props Gareth Gr ant-Mills and Paul Farrar, loose forward Danny Bolton and hooker Reece Willshaw, Methley forced their way back into the contest.
Centre James Baxter, another impressive figure, crossed as the hour mark approached and winger Matty Carriss-Wright went over in the corner as the game entered the final quarter.
A touchdown for opposite winger Matty Baker, who collected Skerrett's high kick with aplomb, hauled Methley – who had to withdraw threequarter Sam Payne in the early stages with a badly bloodied nose,
which was attended to efficiently by physio Ward Jefferson - back into the contest at only eight points adrift.
Middleton, though, made the most of a fortuitous bounce at the restart to post a crucial try and the likes of elusive fullback Thomas Kaye and benchmen Carl Garman and Chris Gibson were unable to find a way through a hard-working defence in a desperate finale.
