Thornhill Trojans, Shaw Cross and Batley Boys secure National Conference wins

Thornhill Trojans secured a second straight win and are the early pace setters in Division One after edging past Milford 13-12 thanks to a 70th minute drop goal by Casey Johnson.

Five minutes earlier, Johnson had converted Jake Wilson’s touchdown, while he had also improved the first try of the game, notched on 10 minutes by George Scott.

Milford had responded to Scott’s early try to take a 12-6 lead through tries in each half for Mark Judge and Zak Snellgrove, both of which Jack Payne converted.

But the Trojans struck late on to take the spoils and are level on four points with Wigan St Patricks and Skirlaugh, who have also won both their opening fixtures.

Batley Boys secured a second successive win in Division Three as they sealed an emphatic 56-0 success over bottom side Askam in a game marred by a broken jaw sustained in the closing stages by Gavin Davies.

The Boys posted a Tom Ripley hat-trick in the game played at Batley Bulldogs Fox’s Biscuits Stadium.

Further tries came from Liam Ward, Josh Richter, Josh Scrutton, Jake Hickling, Charlie Sandell, Adam Allerton and Dec Tomlinson, with Luke Sheridan adding eight goals before Richter was sin-binned on 73 minutes for a high tackle.

Batley Boys are third, with two games in hand on early leaders Leigh East and Eastmoor Dragons, who are second on five points.

Shaw Cross Sharks held off a rally from hosts Waterhead Warriors to record a 19-10 victory against a side who have now lost both their opening matches.

The Sharks were good value for their 14-0 interval lead after Jake Smart scored a first half double.

Both tries were converted by Josh Pinder and he also landed a penalty to put the Sharks in control.

Harry Godfrey raced in for Waterhead’s first try nine minutes after the resumption, with Josh Fitzgerald adding the extras.

Shaw Cross had Callum Barker sin-binned on the hour for delaying a restart but they kept the Warriors at bay until the 79th minute, when they added a second try.

Joel Russell had popped in for the visitors a minute earlier to make it 18-6, and a handy opening win of the season for the Sharks was wrapped up with a Pinder drop goal in the closing seconds.

Victory leaves the Sharks ninth with a win and a loss from two games, with two other been postponed.

Dewsbury Moor slipped to a 14-6 defeat at Barrow Island in a Division Two game which was affected by heavy rain.

A Sam Jones penalty was the only score of the second period as conditions worsened, which didn’t help either side.

Jones had improved first tries by Adam Jackson and Joe Mallinson as Barrow picked up a first win of the campaign, while James Samme replied for the Moor and Brad Foster added the extras.