Chester Gladiators juniors had another impressive weekend in the North West Counties competition with a draw and win against well-established clubs.

Chester's U12s played out an absorbing 20-20 draw with Thatto Heath Crusaders with standout contributions from Reece Sharp, Luke Hudson, Connor Jones and Will Wright.

With the sun shining, the visitors raced into a 12-0 lead as their big ball carriers made inroads but once Chester settled it was the home side who created the better openings to battle back and trail 14-16 at the break.

Points were at a premium in the second period and the Gladiators looked to have edged the game with a score to go 20-16 ahead before the St Helens side hit back to level matters late on.

Both teams had chances to snatch the win, however at the end of an extremely competitive game a point each was probably the right result.

Meanwhile, the Gladiators U11s grabbed a thrilling 36-30 comeback win against Woolston Rovers Golds.

Woolston started positively, passing the ball around and using their three-quarters and wingers to find space. Whilst Chester responded with a couple of breakaway tries, the Gladiators found themselves 24-12 down at the start of the second half.

With tiring legs all round it was down to Chester’s defensive line to get the hosts back into the game. Led by Jake Hulmes and Lewis Ruffell, the Gladiators finally started repelling the Golds' attacks.

In an exciting final few minutes, Joe Wilcock kept the momentum high, assessing the Woolston line, spreading the ball and providing a running threat himself. The game culminated in an end to end solo effort from Owen Hughes to snatch a result in the very last minute for a dramatic victory.

Chester Gladiators junior sides welcome new players at all age groups.

Training takes place on Thursday evenings with matches throughout the summer until October. New starters are offered a free trial, allowing them to take part in training and experience rugby league before deciding whether to become a Gladiator with no pressure to continue beyond the trial.

No previous rugby league experience is needed and all training sessions are led by fully-qualified coaches. For more details contact 07512 355396 or email info@chestergladiators.com.