Kyle Briggs' last-gasp try opened up a three-point gap for Featherstone Rovers at the top of the Championship table.

The half-back's second try of the match, plus Liam Finn's conversion, earned a thrilling 36-32 victory over winless Dewsbury at Post Office Road.

Meanwhile, Rovers' closest rivals Leigh crashed to a 46-40 defeat in another thriller at home to Halifax.

There was little to choose between top and second-bottom as Featherstone and Dewsbury put on a compelling display.

The unfancied Rams appeared set for an unlikely first league win of the campaign thanks to second-half tries through Luke Blake, Anthony England and Scott Turner.

But Rovers, who had led 18-16 at the break, kept their composure with tries of their own by Ross Divorty, Jessie Joe Parker and Briggs' late steal to deny the Rams.

Meanwhile, Rovers utility back Tommy Saxton has agreed a two-year extension to his current contract, keeping him at Post Office Road until at least the end of the 2012 season.

A stirring second-half fightback came too late for Leigh in Sunday's other game as they crashed at home despite late tries by Martyn Ridyard and Dave Armitstead.

Halifax appeared to be coasting when they led 46-28 with 10 minutes remaining, courtesy of a hat-trick of tries from Rob Worrincy, two by Ben Black and others by Dylan Nash, Shad Royston and Paul White, plus seven goals by Lee Paterson.

But Leigh battled back with a gutsy effort, Armitstead and Ridyard adding to earlier efforts from Steve Maden (2), Tommy Goulden, Stuart Donlan and Mike Morrison.

In this weekend's only other Championship game, Keighley Cougars moved to within one win of climbing off the bottom of the Championship table at Bramall Lane with Thursday night's late win againstSheffield Eagles.

After drawing his team level with a penalty, Danny Jones slotted a drop goal in the dying seconds to secure a dramatic 25-24 victory.

Jones' try set his side on their way to a 20-8 half-time lead, his six kicks earning him a 17-point personal haul.

James Hutchinson and Tom Sheldrake got Keighley's other two tries.

But they won despite being outscored five tries to three by a Sheffield side who had won their previous four Championship games.

Joe Hirst, Yere Menzie, Trevor Exton, Sam Barlow and Brendon Lindsay touched down for Sheffield, only for Jones' late heroics to earn Keighley their third win of the season.

Leigh will face no further action for temporarily having 14 players on the pitch in their Championship fixture at Whitehaven on May 23.

After reviewing a DVD of the incident, in which hooker John Duffy returned to the field a couple of seconds before the player he was replacing, Dave McConnell left the pitch, the RFL Match Review panel ruled no further action was required.

Duffy was subsequently dismissed by referee Craig Halloran, following an intervention by the fourth official.

The referee then allowed McConnell return to the pitch. The Match Review Panel ruled that sending-off was sufficient punishment for Duffy.

A last-minute try byYork City Knights winger Tom Lineham sent Blackpool Panthers crashing to their first Championship One defeat of the season.

Lineham's try earned the home side a 24-22 victory at the end of a pulsating second period when Blackpool rallied to overturn a 14-6 interval deficit with tries by Johnny Leather, Mark McCully and Damian Munroe.

However York, who had edged ahead with tries of their own through Mike Mitchell and Lee Waterman, who added conversions to both and a penalty, held firm to win through with further scores from Jack Lee and Lineham's last-ditch effort.

LeadersHunslet took full advantage of Blackpool's rare slip to go five points clear of them with victory at Doncaster.

The Hawks were thankful for two tries each by player-coach Paul March and Michael Mark, plus others from Danny Grimshaw and Wayne McHugh to hold off spirited Doncaster, for whom Scott Watson scored twice.

Second-placedOldham bounced back from last week's 60-4 defeat by Hunslet with an impressive 28-16 win at Workington, which featured two tries by Mick Fogerty.

Jason Boults, Dave Ellison and Paul O'Connor also grabbed tries, while Matt Ashe landed four goals to counter the Cumbrians' tries, which came from Mike Backhouse, Jarrad Stack and James Marshall.

Gateshead Thunder lost heavily again at home to Rochdale Hornets, Wayne English and Craig Ashall each scoring hat-tricks in a 64-6 victory.

Rob Foxen also celebrated a hat-trick of tries in a 56-28 win for Swinton Lions at home to London Skolars, who scored 22 second-half points in vain as they fell to a 28th successive defeat.

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