Pilks made six changes to the side beaten at Egremont last time out. Phil Riley, Jon Key, Zak Hopkins, Tom Eastwood, Warren Paladino and Tom Connick all came out of the side. Returning were Ben O’Connell, Lewis Griffiths, Nathan Livesey, Dan Johnson and Ian Mather.

The visitors, who were chasing top spot, made a fast start and were at almost a point a minute in the first quarter, going 16-0 up inside 15 minutes.

But Pilks weathered the storm, and hit back just before the break. Jamie Smith got the ball and got through a gap to get Pilks on the board. Josh O’Connell converted.

But Pilks couldn't hold on until the break, the visitors adding another try to make it 20-6.

Pilks once again hit back through Smith, who once again found the gap to score. O’Connell converted to make it an eight point game, and suddenly the match was back in the balance.

But from there, Dewsbury took control. They ran in seven unanswered tries in half an hour, and news from elsewhere confirmed they hit top spot.

Three of those tries, they scored while a man up. O’Connell was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul.

Pilks will need to pick themselves up before facing another one of the top teams as Dewsbury Moor come to Ruskin Drive on Saturday.