Orrell moved into second place on the league table outright following a hard-fought and committed performance against an Eccles side that held more possession in the second half but couldn't find a way through.

In fairness, this was a game for the purest. Tight play, field position, and tough defence were the order of the day in blustery conditions.

For the first ten minutes, Eccles spent a lot of time inside Orrell's half with the two packs battling to secure the ball, or in Orrell's case, try and get downfield. There were a couple of bright charges from the likes of Jack Granby, Ste Ormesher and Wilbur Harris, and some real subtleties from the starting front row of Josh Grant, Lloyd Davies and Kyle Herbert, who kept bigger opposites at bay and countered well.

With the likes of Adam Worley and James Ratcliffe plotting, Orrell did eventually get some reward. Alex Gaskell looked set for a try only for last-ditch defence to haul him down and when the score did come, it was from well executed forward play. Orrell won possession from a line out ten metres from the goal-line before stacking several phases up. Harris then spied his chance to plunge over from close range after 32 minutes. Craig Thomas couldn't goal but the hosts led 5-0 at the break.

The second half brought more magnificent defence from Orrell, with Davies well to the fore alongside Johnson. Veteran prop Mark Williams emerged from the bench to win a couple of key battles in the scrum and Adam Glover offered a formidable presence out wide.

Once more Eccles applied plenty of pressure, but Orrell were water-tight. They refused to yield despite a lack of possession and battled through to the end, keeping their opponents scoreless to claim victory by that narrow 5-0 margin.