NORTHWICH kept the pace with the top three in the North One West with a narrow away win over a battling Broughton Park side.

The win keeps them in position to catch third-place Widnes, but first they will have to snatch both points on offer when they travel to mid-table Wilmslow on Saturday.

The visitors welcomed the return of Mike Gallimore in the scrum half shirt, which allowed Naylor to play in his preferred back row position.

This switch was decisive, with Naylor’s two individually crafted tries providing the platform to secure the crucial away victory.

It was he who opened the scoring at the end of the first quarter, when he broke through to score a try which Hallam could not improve.

The prolific Park full back Ronan O’Brien kicked a penalty on the half hour, but the only other first half score came just before the interval, when Hallam slotted over a well-taken penalty.

The second half started in the terrible conditions and Broughton utilised their big pack to stifle the game and keep the Blacks on the back foot.

But there was little they could do to prevent hooker Chris James setting up a try for winger Chris Courtnage, which Hallam failed to convert, and though O’Brien hit back with a penalty, Hallam's drop goal 10 minutes into the half earned his side a 6-18 advantage.

It got better for Northwich two minutes later, Hallam striking again with his second penalty before Naylor’s second bit of individual skill crafted a second try, which Hallam had no trouble in converting to make it 6-28.

This should of been the end of it, but in the last quarter Northwich began to fade away after Chris Dale and Gallimore were forced to leave the fray.

The disruption, combined with some sterling forward play from Park, produced three quick-fire tries from Guy Barlow, Warren Duffy and Jake Smith and though O’Brien coolly converted all three, Park came up just short of stealing the match.

Northwich Cray, James, Cairns, Heywood, Smith, McKibbin, Naylor, Robinson, Gallimore (Hart 70), Hallam, Chubb, Dale (Feldman 46), King, Courtnage, Barber.

Northwich stage their President’s Day on December 17 when Leigh will be the visitors.

The annual Christmas reunion is open to all past players to renew friendships, tuck into some festive fayre and watch the match.

Book in with Sam Naylor on 07772 611274.