Wath Brow and Kells both beat National Conference Premier Division strugglers to help Egremont, who were beaten by second-in-the-table Thatto Heath Crusaders.

The Hornets were 20-16 winners at Skirlaugh while Kells edged-out Leigh Miners Rangers 30-26 in west Cumbria.

Leigh Miners, once one of the Division’s leading lights, are now virtually certain to be relegated while time is running out for Skirlaugh.

Egremont, who lost 32-26 at home to the Crusaders, are four point clear of the drop zone with three games left to play.

The Brow are three points behind Thatto Heath, but do have a game in hand – which is against local rivals Kells next month.

At Skirlaugh, the Brow started well and, inside the first half-an-hour, had opened-up a 10-0 lead. Cole Walker-Taylor and Karl Dixon each scored a try with Walker-Taylor adding a conversion.

Skirlaugh got themselves back into contention with a try just before the break from Scott Mountain and one just after by John Gay.

Midway through the second half, Nathan Lucock scored Wath Brow’s third try, which Walker-Taylor converted.

There was a brief scare when Macauley Duke scored Skirlaugh’s third try but the Cumbrians earned themselves more breathing space when Dixon went over for his second try.

Matty Harling scored near the end for Skirlaugh but, like the previous three, it went unconverted and the Hornets were through to a vital win.

Kells were trailing 26-18 at half-time in an entertaining home game with Leigh Miners Rangers who might have been thinking they were on their way to only a third win of the season.

But Peter Smith’s men rallied strongly and scored 12 unanswered points in the second half to win the game and leave Rangers staring at Division One rugby next season.

Tries by Russ Gainford (2), Craig Benson, Johnny Scott and Tyrone Dalton, with five goal from Gainford, gave Kells the win which pushed them into the top six.

Going into the last 20 minutes at Egremont, Thatto Heath appeared to be home and hosed with a 32-8 lead.

But Egremont finished very strongly and at the final whistle there were only six points between the two sides.

At half-time it was 14-8 to the visitors but the third quarter was very profitable to them as they raced well clear, and actually proved to be the decisive period of the game.

Pat Wells had scored Egremont’s opening try, while Matty Henson landed two goals in the first-half.

That was all they could manage until the last eight minutes when there were tries by Tom Horner (2) and Kieran Glenn, all converted by James McDonald.