SADDLEWORTH School’s rugby league team edged out St Peter’s School, Wigan, 14-12 to be crowned the North West Plate Year 10 champions in a thrilling contest at Orrell St James.
Victory looked unlikely for Saddleworth when they trailed 6-0 after only two minutes.
The score remained this way until the 27th minute when Fraser Enziano took a superb catch from a neat crossfield kick to touch down beyond the whitewash. Lewis Jagger added the extras to tie the scores.
On the stroke of half-time St Peter’s delivered a potentially killer blow as their pacy left winger capitalised on a rare error to race up the field and score a classy 90-metre try which was duly converted from beneath the uprights.
In the second period, Saddleworth were faced with having to navigate the steep slope of the pitch in addition to the six-point deficit. Captain and talisman Harry Bates was the player to commence the revival as his opportunistic four pointer saw him dart over from close range. Jagger was left with the simplest of kicks to bring parity once more.
With the bumper crowd biting their finger nails the final was decided by a 40-metre penalty goal struck sweetly from the foot of Jagger after an infringement from the local side.
The game hung in the balance throughout the final few minutes, but it was the Saddleworth defence that remained resolute until the final whistle triggered scenes of both relief and jubilation from the visiting players and spectators.