This was a game between two evenly-matched sides which could just as easily have gone the other way.

The Wolves came agonisingly close to securing their fourth away win of the season, but in the final reckoning they didn’t take sufficient of their chances in the first 30 minutes when they were in the ascendency.

Kersal, however, did in the final half hour when they had the better of the proceedings to come back from a 12-3 deficit and to force a match-winning try in the closing minutes. It was as close as that.

The home side had much to thank their No10 James Nettleton for. He kicked two penalties at a crucial stage in the second half to haul his side back into contention.

The first was close to halfway and in the cold damp and murky conditions then prevailing was no easy kick.

It was Nettleton too who was up to charge down a frantic clearing kick on the Wolves line very late in the game and to get the all important touch down.

The Wolves had started much the brighter of the two sides and despite conceding an early lineout and scrum, there was a positive urgency about their play as they took the game to their opponents.

It wasn’t long before an impressive forward drive was harshly ruled by the referee to have been held up.

No matter, they were decisive in the ensuing scrum and crisp passing to the left wing saw Sam Cutts holding off the defence for long enough to get the opening score.

Several promising moves followed.

Alex Taylor’s fine break from the base of the scrum came to naught when the final pass was spilt; Lawrence James was clearly obstructed when he looked to have the beating of everyone as he chased his own kick ahead.

The Wolves opted for the scrum close to the Kersal line but despite a sequence of thrusts couldn’t break down the home defence.

A longish shot for goal was then missed when Taylor was high tackled in possession.

It took Kersal nearly 30 minutes before they were able to mount a sustained attack but when they did Nettleton was soon on target with a penalty goal.

They were pushing hard too at the start of the second half until an attacking move broke down on the Wolves right where centre Richard Hughes was first to the loose ball and his pass put right winger James away for a dash the whole length of the field and the Wolves second try.

Two penalties in quick succession on around 55 minutes then got Kersal back into the game.

The first was for a retaliatory front row offence, which had been provoked by foul play. The referee saw the retaliation but not the cause of it.

The second soon followed when full back Bob MacCallum, isolated in defence, received man and ball at the same time and was deemed to have held on too long after the tackle.

The home side now had their tails up and within five minutes, they forced the Wolves into losing the ball in mid field and from the ensuing scrum moved the ball briskly to the right where second row Aaron Loftus took the final pass at pace to run in for the score.

It was no consolation for the Wolves that last season Loftus had been a Wilmslow player.

Play then ebbed to and fro with neither side looking particularly dangerous in possession until MacCallum decided to have a pot at goal in the last 10 minutes from what looked to be the very edge of his range.

He confounded all those watching by striking it perfectly to edge the Wolves back in front by a point.

The Wolves now needed to play down the clock which, of course, is easier said than done. Unfortunately they failed to secure the ball at the decisive lineout close to half way.

The ball ran loose towards their line, the Kersal side were on to the covering Wilmslow defence ‘en masse’, driving it back and almost inevitably the clearing kick was charged down.

Nettleton pounced and that was that.

Coach Brendan Thomas was not unduly upset by the turn of events.

"It’s still a very young side," he said afterwards. "It will learn from this and become all the better for it."

Next week, the Wolves travel to third-placed Vale of Lune.

The Vale won at Carlisle last weekend and with a game in hand have a clear chance to go second in the table ahead of Sale.