Chesterfield Panthers slip up against Gainsborough All Blacks in stormy Scunthorpe

Scunthorpe's Oglesby Park was the setting for Chesterfield Panthers return to Midlands 4 East (North) action after a two-week break, as they took on Gainsborough All Blacks.

Heavy rain and winds greeted both sides at the rearranged venue after the recent inclement weather had made Gainsborough's normal home ground of the Roses unsuitable to play.

It was a widely-anticipated encounter which pitted sixth versus seventh in the standings prior to kick-off.

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Chesterfield had had the better of things in the recent head-to-heads but Gainsborough went into the game with confidence having won the reverse fixture 14-13 earlier in the season.

And, whereas the Panthers had lost narrowly to East Retford last time out, the All Blacks took top-of-the-table Boston to the wire.

Gainsborough were first to score a try and successful conversion attempt before the two sides traded penalties before the half-time whistle blew for 10-3 to the hosts at the interval.

But the game slipped away from Chesterfield in the early throes of the second half as the All Blacks scored two early tries to end the game as a contest.

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The final result of 29-3 saw Gainsborough switch places with the Panthers, moving above them into sixth with Chesterfield dropping one to seventh.

Panthers return to Dunston Road on Saturday when they host third-placed Meden Vale.