Chester 32 Billingham 18

CHESTER got their National League Three North title charge back on track on Saturday.

Tom Foden, Rhys Hayes, Lloyd Hayes and Tom Gregory shared the tries as the long-time leaders bounced back from their heavy loss at championship rivals Sandal.

Nic Corrigan admitted his team fell short of recapturing the scintillating form they displayed in the first half of the season.

Yet he was full of praise for their ‘resolve’ and ‘application’.

The Chester head coach said: “To come away with five points even though we were not firing on all cylinders is credit to the players.

“Billingham were a well organised side and we needed to win ugly.”

Chester are without a match this weekend.

Second-placed Harrogate are in action, however. Should the Yorkshiremen claim a bonus-point win at Penrith, they will cut the gap at the top to five points.

Corrigan said: “We are performing in a different way to the start of the season but we are top of the league at the end of February – and that’s the position every club wants to be.

“Now we have to focus on the last seven games and ask ourselves the question, are we ready for them?

“Everybody expects to us to choke, to be the bridesmaids again.

“We’ve got the perfect opportunity over the last seven games to prove everybody wrong.”

Chester 2nds lost 19-3 at home to Macclesfield 2nds on Saturday but title-challenging Chester 3rds romped to a 60-7 success at home to Wirral 3rds.

Another high-flying side, Christleton, were 61-5 winners at home to Winnington Park 3rds.

Helsby lost 38-10 at Knutsford.