KIRKBY Lonsdale won their seventeenth successive game in the North One West division with a 37-13 win on the artificial surface at Burnage.

Results elsewhere mean the Underley Park side have extended their lead at the top of the table to 10 points ahead of next week's crunch match with Birkenhead Park.

The first scoring chance came to Kirkby when Burnage were penalised just outside their twenty two, full back Ryan Terry coolly slotted the penalty to put Kirkby ahead 3-0. From their restart Burnage were on the offensive and were awarded a penalty of their own but were unable to convert.

On the attack again Burnage maintained a period of play deep in Kirkby territory but the ball came Kirkby’s way with stand-off Dave Barton running out of defence down the left touchline. He was tackled short of the line but was able to work the ball back where it came infield to centre Harry Ralston who charged for the line only to be taken out by a high tackle deemed serious enough for the ref to go under the posts to award a penalty try. It was converted by Terry to extend Kirkby’s lead to 10-0.

Back came Burnage with a kickable penalty which was this time successful to narrow the gap to 10-3. On the attack themselves Kirkby took play close to the Burnage line and looked certain to score only for a deliberate knock on in the red zone to go unpunished and the home side were able to clear the danger. As the game swung back and forth Burnage had a good period of possession and pressure near the Kirkby line and although several drives were repulsed their forwards were eventually able to drive over for a converted try to level the score.

Home hopes would have been high but these were dashed by a second half performance from a settled down Kirkby. It started with only a few minutes on the clock when Barton had the ball some fifteen metres from the Burnage line. There was plenty of defence but he was unstoppable in going over the line to score a morale boosting try in the left corner with Terry making the difficult kick to take the score to 17-10. Some desperation was entering Burnage's game and when Kirkby’s David Cooper-Dunne was taken out in the air Terry was again on target with the penalty to extend the lead to 20-10.

Hands in a ruck by Kirkby did give Burnage a kick at goal which was good to narrow the gap to 20-13 but that was as good as it got for them as Kirkby began to dominate in what was becoming an increasingly physical encounter. Kirkby pressure on the line lead to a penalty and a yellow card for Burnage. From the five metre scrum Kirkby drove over but were deemed held up, from the next five metre scrum Kirkby again pounded the line and more illegal defence saw a second Burnage player in the bin for ten minutes.

Kirkby didn’t waste the advantage with Ralston going over for the third try with Terry again nailing a difficult kick. This was followed by a score from right wing Martyn Knapton, his first and the bonus point fourth try.

Knapton soon added his second with an excellent run down his touchline at pace to secure Kirkby's fifth try.

No conversion but this was the final act on the pitch in this difficult game.