Rugby Union: Glossop Thirds 20 - 21 Littleborough Thirds

Littleborough snatched a dramatic last-minute winner against rivals Glossop to seal the Division Four East title.

Going into the match, a win at Glossop and a loss for Wilmslow would give Littleborough the crown.

While Littleborough prised a late victory at Hargate Hill Lane, Wilmslow had there title hopes dashed as they sank to a shock 49-17 loss at home to Hope Valley.

With so much riding on the game, the first half was a very attritional affair as both sides tried to find a way through each other's rear guard. As soon as the door was slightly opened and a chance presented itself, the door would be immediately shut.

Visitors Littleborough took the initiative early to lead via a Tom Travis penalty.

Glossop levelled the scores with a long-range penalty.

The game burst into life with the first try of the game. A Littleborough driving maul made 20 plus yards, before a clever dart from scrum half Gareth Hutchins down the blind side allowed Brook Reader time and space to sprint in for his first try of the year. Travis could not add the extras with a difficult kick in the conditions.

Glossop piled on the pressure causing Littleborough to concede penalties, and as Peter Fletcher walked off for 10 minutes in the sin bin, Glossop took full advantage with a quick tap try down in the right corner.

Half time: Glossop Thirds 10 - 8 Littleborough Thirds

With conditions worsening, nerves were creeping in as the stakes increased with every successful penalty.

Glossop, who were using their fresh legs to good effect, started to gain an advantage and took the lead via a well taken try. A shining light for Glossop, the number eight he bumped off four Boro tacklers to blast his way around the defence. A successful conversion put them six points clear.

Littleborough pushed desperately for a try and went agonisingly close through James Muir, Aaron Jones and Tom Carter, the latter of whom had a particularly impressive game, but whichever way they tried they could not get through the Glossop defence.

The last play of the game saw Littleborough's turn over the ball and put Glossop under huge pressure. As Glossop scrambled to keep Littleborough at bay, Boro captain Jonathan Land was the man of the hour as he shruged off the desperate challenges of three Glossop defenders on the line to dot down left of the posts.

In the most dramatic of endings to the most tense of games, Thomas Travis calmly knocked over the conversion to send Littleborough players into delirium.