Chester 24 (Tries: Verbickas, Ellis, Parsley. Pens: Verbickas 3.) 

Hull Ionians 23 (Tries: Pease, Boast, Aspinall.. Con: Jasnikowski. Pens: Jasnikowski 2.) 

Chester joined Hull and Preston on 26 points with this important win over top of the table Hull Ionians who have played more games than all the teams immediately below them in the league table.

Simon Verbickas gave the home side the lead wit a try in the first minute for a 5-0 lead. Ionians were level on eight minutes with full back Mark Pease going n for a try.

The home side dominated the rest of the scoring in the first half with tries form scrum half Colin Ellis and centre Neil Parsley and Verbickas who missed the conversions did add a couple of penalty goals as the home side went in 21-5 ahead. 

A second Ionians try came in the 51^st minute with flanker Jason Boast touching down, Mark Jasnikowski missed the conversion but put over penalty goals in the 63^rd and 67^th minutes to get it back to 21-16.. Verbickas kicked a third penalty goal for the home side leaving Hull needing to scores to snatch a win.

In the 72^nd minute scrum half Michael Aspinall went in for a try and Jasnikowski added the extras to make it a one point game but that was the final score of the match with Chester taking the points and there are now six sides separated by just four points.

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Hull P (.) 

Altrincham Kersal P (.) 

Liverpool St Helens 10 (Tries: Donnelly, Collins.)  

Birkenhead Park 35 (Tries: Dodd, Hancock, Sutton, Saverimutto, Clarke. Con: Crampton 2. Pens: Crampton 2.) 

This was a home match LSH needed to win real as they look to avoid a second successive relegation but were well beaten by Birkenhead Park who made it two wins in a row.

Park were ahead in the 2^nd minute with scrum half Christian Saverimutto getting a try. LSH were level though on 18 minutes with wing James Donnelly touching down.   

Just before the half mark and Stuart Crampton slotted over a penalty goal and Park were 8-5 ahead, a lead they took into the break,

Park took total control of the match in the opening 15 minutes of the second half with four tries and 24 unanswered points to lead 32-5 and ran out comfortable winners. .

Morley 20 (Tries: K Bradshaw, S Bradshaw, Field. Con: Stephens. Pen: Stephens.) 

Vale of Lune 10 (Try: Sorour. Con: Jones. Pen: Jones.) 

Morley continue their excellent recent form and top the Form Guide with six successive league wins. They were 5-0 ahead in seven minutes with left wing Simon Bradshaw going over for a try. In the 22^nd minute Vale levelled it up when centre Tyrone Sorour went in for his 7^th try of the season and with Matt Jones converting they were ahead. Just after the half hour mark Colin Stephens slotted over a penalty goal to take the home side ahead again and it stayed like that till the break.   

Four minutes into the second half and the other Morley wing Karl Bradshaw went in for a try and Morley were 13-7 ahead.

Vale pulled three points back with a Jones penalty goal on 57 minutes.

The win was not sealed till the 79^th minute with flanker Craig Field touching down for his 7^th try of the season and Stephens adding the extras.

Sheffield P (.) 

Preston Grasshoppers P (.) 

West Park St Helens 36 (Tries: Perry, McGeough, Turner, 2, Callaghan, A Soutar. Cons: A Soutar 2, Callaghan.) 

Middlesbrough 20 (Tries: Wright, Baggett, Goodall. Con: Baggett. Pen: Baggett.) 

West Park returned to winning way to keep up the chase for a top two finish as they wait to pounce if one of the leading sides slip.

It was the visitors who took the lead with a 4^th minute penalty goal form centre Neil Baggett. Two minutes later though and the home side were over the visitors line with centre Andrew Perry touching down and Andrew Soutar converted for 7-3. 

Middlesbrough regained the lead when scrum half Peter Wright went over for a try in the 22^nd minute and Baggett converted for 10-7. West Park though responded well and ran in three tries before the break and with Soutar adding a conversion they went in 24-10 ahead. The tries came form left wing Martin McGeough and full back Mark Turner bagged a brace.

In the second half the visitors needed to score first but didn’t with fly half Ian Callaghan touching down in the opening minute of the second half. On the hour mark Soutar went over for a try and Callaghan converted for 36-10.