In an enthralling encounter at the Old Show Ground, Rossendale emerged victorious over Newport (Salop) with a final score of 33-28, securing a vital five points in their league campaign.

The game kicked off with immediate excitement, as just four minutes in, Rossendale’s John Tuia opened the scoring. A well-placed kick through by Lewis Allen was expertly caught by the fullback, Zane Ainsley, who offloaded to Tuia. The flanker displayed remarkable pace and agility, beating his man to touch down in the corner. Allen converted from the left wing, giving Rossendale an early 7-0 lead.

Newport responded strongly, dominating possession and phases in the Rossendale half. After 13 minutes, their pressure paid off with a well-deserved try following 14 phases of sustained attack, converted to level the score at 7-7.

The visitors regained their composure and, just a minute later, executed a slick series of passes that saw Ainslie sprint through the Newport defence to score in the corner. Allen's conversion pushed Rossendale ahead once again, 7-14

However, the momentum swung back to Newport when Rossendale's Brendan Berry received a yellow card for an alleged high knee tackle, leaving his team a man down.

A try for Rossendale came from a scrum in the Newport 22. The ball went out to Lamprey, who went down the blind side, beating a few tackles. He then passed wide to Sam Lowthion, who scored in the corner.

Newport struck back with a converted try after heavy pressure from winning the ball at the line out, after a couple of missed tackles from Rossendale, the home team were through to score. Score now 14-19

As the first half progressed, Newport continued to apply pressure, and their relentless efforts were rewarded with a converted try on the 34-minute mark, making it 21-19 in their favour as they took the lead for the first time.

The half-time whistle blew with the score line at Rossendale 19, Newport 21, making for a fairly even contest so far. Every time Newport entered the visitors’ 22, they seemed to come away with points. This set the stage for an intriguing second half.

After the break, Rossendale re-emerged with renewed vigour. In the 49th minute, they executed a brilliant counter-attack, moving the ball from their own 22 through a series of slick passes, culminating in a try under the posts for Alex Ropeti. Allen's conversion restored Rossendale’s lead at 21-26

The visitors then struck again in the 54th minute, as Lamprey powered through the Newport defence from a five-metre scrum. A great offload to Ainslie and quick footwork from Lowthion saw him cross the line for another converted try, pushing the score to 21-33

Newport, undeterred, responded with a converted try of their own in the 68th minute following a lineout catch-and-drive. The score tightened to 28-33, reigniting hopes for the home crowd.

With the tension rising, Rossendale's Zac Stephens was shown a yellow card for a high tackle, further complicating their defensive efforts. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the visitors managed to hold on to their slender lead as the match drew to a close.

Full-time at the Old Show Ground, with the score reading 28-33 in favour of the visitors, Rossendale. They have claimed five crucial points, while the home team put in a commendable performance. It was an eventful match, with too many mistakes from Rossendale, but they managed to secure the points as they head back home. John Tuia’s early try and overall impact on the game earned the title of star player.

Match report by Sophie Macintosh