SEDGLEY Tigers coach Geoff Roberts praised his side's forward play after they got back to winning ways in style against mid-table Harrogate.
The Park Lane outfit consolidated their one-point lead at the top of National League Division Two North with a comprehensive 35-11 home victory on Saturday.
The Tigers also picked up their seventh successive bonus point of the season, and the coach was pleased with his side's cutting edge.
"It was a really tough start and Harrogate had most of the possession in the first quarter of an hour," Roberts told the Guide.
"But as is becoming a habit we seemed to pick a 20-minute slot to up the anti and overpower them.
"We really put it together with a decent and commanding first half performance.
"Harrogate are a good side. But they probably just didn't have the the same cutting edge that we had.
"We well and truly deserved the result."
Roberts reserved special praise for man of the match Steve Collins after the returning number 10 produced another fine display and converted eight of the Tigers' points.
"Steve is a good general," he said.
"He organises everything and controls the game so well.
"Everything goes through him.
"It was great to have him available again because he's having a great season."
Harrogate opened the scoring on three minutes with a penalty from Lewis Minikin.
Despite the early setback, tries from Johnny Matthews and Rob Birtwell, which were both converted by Collins, eased the Tigers into a 14-3 lead on 16 minutes.
Minikin reduced the arrears to 14-6 with a penalty on 28 minutes before Matt Lamprey and Jamie Harrison notched up the Tigers' third and fourth tries.
Collins again added the extras to put the hosts in control with a 28-6 lead at the break.
Tigers captain Juan Crous and Ben Lloyd were both sinbinned in the second half along with the visitors substitute Tom Harvey.
And although Harry Parrish's unconverted effort gave Gate hope at 28-11, Callum McShane's try and Rhodri Carlton-Jones' conversion sealed the bonus-point victory for the Tigers.
The Tigers will have tight-head props Ben Black and Harri Greville back in the squad when they travel to fifth-placed Leicester Lions on Saturday, with Roberts expecting another test.
"I always class a trip to the Lions as a tough day out," he said.
"But with Ben and Harri available again we'll have a pretty strong pack.
"They have a good forward line and are pretty decent in the pack.
"We had a terrible time there a couple of seasons ago but we fronted up to them in the pack last year and had a fairly comfortable ride to claim victory in the end."
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