THE New Brighton defence held firm in a nerve-tingling finale to ensure a welcome victory over Manchester in the South Lancashire / Cheshire One League.

It finished 22-19 to the Blues at Hartsfield but could easily have been a draw; Manchester declined a simple penalty kick five minutes from time, instead looking for a match and bonus-winning try which did not materialise.

Brighton did well to win after trailing 0-14 in the 24th minute and then 7-19 at the interval. Ben Marsh grabbed their first-half try, converted by Joe Silcock, but Manchester breached the home rearguard three times and converted two of them.

A Silcock penalty in the 50th minute was followed by a superb opportunist try by prop Aaron Jones in a 22-metre dash to the line, and the conversion by Silcock made it 17-19.

The decisive score for the Blues came on 64 minutes, Vin Dutton getting over in the corner after lively approach play.

In the same division, Anselmians edged a close encounter against Winnington Park at Malone Field 31-27, while Hoylake achieved their first league win of the season, 13-5 at home to Collegiate.

Caldy suffered an unexpected 26-31 defeat in National Two North by a more than useful Harrogate at Paton Field.

The visitors raced into a 20-0 lead, but Jack Lavin added the extras to a Tom Banks touchdown to start the Caldy fightback.

Nick Royle showed his paces for two home tries, with one conversion by Lavin. In between Harrogate breached the home defence again, but at 19-25 Caldy were in with a great chance.

A penalty made it 19-28, but when Tom Saunders got over for their fourth try, Lavin’s conversion made it 26-28. But Caldy handed the Yorkshiremen a welcome penalty, which they gladly accepted before holding out under pressure. It meant Caldy had to be content with two well-deserved bonus points.

Birkenhead Park collected a bonus point from a 12-19 reverse against a useful Sheffield side in National Three North at the Upper Park.

Stu Brown scored Park’s first-half try after forward pressure, but Sheffield got two tries and a conversion to lead 12-5 at the interval.

Sam Chidley breached the Sheffield rearguard on the hour mark, with Dave Hall converting to level things at 12-12. But Park did not accept further chances and Sheffield took the spoils via a converted try eight minutes from time.

Oxton Parkonians beat Liverpool University 22-5 in Merseyside West. There were four tries via skipper Terry Williams, Ron Marnick, Dan Blythe and Mark Hillan, with one conversion from Andy Smith.

Oldershaw won 25-20 at home to Mossley Hill, and Port Sunlight saw off visitors Ellesmere Port 12-9.