SEDGLEY Park left their fans and manager Geoff Roberts all biting their nails after leaving it late to secure a third successive victory on Saturday.

The Tigers looked to be slipping to a narrow defeat at home against Tynedale before Jamie Harrison popped up with a match-winning try just three minutes from time — his second score in successive matches – to seal a 23-22 triumph.

It meant a hat-trick of victories to start the year off in style against three of the teams around Sedgley in the top six of National Two North.

And with just six points separating the Tigers in third and joint leaders Sale FC and Hinckley, Roberts’ side are firmly in the promotion shake-up.

The general manager knows his side have already played most of their close rivals twice now and with the top two facing off against each other this Saturday at Hinckley, something has to give.

And that will open the door wider for Sedgley, should they win their game at Macclesfield.

However, while Macclesfield may be more than 40 points worse off than the Tigers, Roberts is wary of taking anything for granted against a side that has hit form with four straight wins in recent weeks.

He told the Bury Times: “We have had three tough games and come through with three wins which is credit to the players.

“It looks like getting easier for us now with the fixtures coming up but we have to avoid any complacency.

“There are always banana skins if you are not on your game in this division – you just have to look at the next game this weekend against a Macclesfield side who have won their last four.

“But we have gone up to third now and just six points off Hinckley and Sale who play each other this weekend so something has to give there.”

The latest win last weekend saw Sedgley battling the elements as well as a tough Tynedale side who went into the game just a place below the Tigers in the table.

Sedgley were quicker out of the blocks despite the wintry conditions, Steve Collins scoring a try that Roberts describes as ‘a corker’ before a successful conversion and two penalties gave them a 13-0 lead after half an hour.

But Tynedale’s Ben Bell scored a try before half time and that gave the visitors a confidence boost they took into the second half.

A Hallam Chapman try for Sedgley restored the 13-point advantage before Tynedale turned the game on its head with three unanswered tries and a conversion making it 22-18 in their favour.

Then, with three minutes to go, Harrison struck to seal victory for the hosts.

Roberts added: “They are a good side but we started on fire and I thought it was going to be a comfortable day despite the heavy ground and bad conditions which made the ball greasy.

“We scored a corker of a try through a lot of hands before Steve Collins went over but a defensive mistake by us near the end of the half let them back into it.

“They then pressed and took control but we missed some try chances.

“Credit to the lads though, despite it being a nail-biter, it was the sort of game in wet conditions we would not have won last season and we did on Saturday.”