Ovenden win at Hull in title bid

Ovenden overcame a major hurdle in their quest to retain the Pennine League title with a 38-20 win away to Three Tuns yesterday.
Morpeth 55 Consett 7Morpeth 55 Consett 7
Morpeth 55 Consett 7

After a see-saw first half in which the Hull side drew first blood, the Four Fields men turned round only 14-10 up.

However, Ovenden pulled clear with some decent rugby led by outstanding prop Macauley Higgins and free-scoring full back Graham Charlesworth.

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Charlesworth finished with two tries and there were others from Nathan Brown, Jordan Owens, Sean Dyson, Higgins and Nick Cassell.

Dyson kicked three goals and Owens two as Ovenden saw off one of their main rivals for honours.

Steve Taylor and Brett Durkin were in charge of the team in the absence of Jake Connor, who had Hull FC commitments, and Taylor said: “The players did really well. It was a good result because they and Toll Bar are our main title rivals.”

It was Ovenden’s first game since early December after three postponements when clubs were unable to raise sides against them.

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Taylor said it had been important to blow away the cobwebs ahead of next Saturday’s home Challenge Cup match against Conference side Woolston Rovers (2.0).

Ovenden haven’t played in the domestic game’s premier 13-a-side knockout competition since they lost heavily to Halifax at the Shay in 2010.

Taylor said next weekend’s tie was attracting plenty of interest and the TV cameras were due at training on Tuesday, largely because of England international Connor’s involvement with his local club.