Rugby League
National Conference League
Division 2 North West
Saturday 13th June 2026
Kick Off 14.30
Ashton Bears 20 Crosfields 24, attendance 115
@ Bear Park
Low Bank Road
Ashton-in-Makerfield
WN4 9RP
£2 Admission
No Programme.
Today’s game saw a trip up to Ashton-in-Makerfield, just south of Wigan. Ashton Bears ground is in Low Bank Road, to the west of the town and the last thing on the right hand side before you cross the M6 motorway as you head towards Garswood. Parking is behind the near goal end, with the pitch running lengthways away from here. Spectators are restricted to this end and along the right hand touchline. A pair of dugouts are on the side that backs onto the motorway and there are floodlights here, but only for training use. The clubhouse/changing room building is at the far end of the car park, where there was also a tea bar that did hot and cold food and drinks..
The match was bottom of the table (9th) versus fifth, where a win for the hosts would have seen them climb above the visitors in the table. It was Crosfields who took a sixteenth minute lead though, scoring right in the corner before adding the conversion to lead 0-6. Ashton drew level five minutes later, scoring close to the posts and adding the kick too. Ten minutes before halftime, another try in the corner saw Crosfields lead again and this was converted to make it 6-12. Just before the break Ashton pulled it back to 10-12, breaking from left to right and despite two attempted failed tackles, it was forced over the line and set up the second half perfectly. A try under the posts saw Crosfields extend their lead three minutes into the second half, which was kicked as well, making it 10-18. Ashton got it back to 16-18 just after the hour mark, before another converted Crosfields try made it 16-24 as we headed into the final ten minutes. With a minute left Ashton broke from deep in their own half and switched the ball out wide to get another try in the corner, giving a final score of 20-24.
Amazingly, a trip where holdups were no more than a couple of minutes each way, at the M5/M6 intersection going and on the M25 around J10 coming back.
