The Buffaloes triumphed in their final home game of the season by 32-18 after a rousing battle with South London Storm.
Two Bramley tries in the final seven minutes finally sealed the visitors’ fate after putting up a brave fight in front of a crowd numbering just under 500.
Storm opened the scoring after just four minutes when Richard Pitchfork found a gap to touch down but the Buffaloes hit back on the 10 minute mark when Marc Gibson burrowed under a pile of players to score under the posts. Chris Gardner’s conversion made it 6-4.
South London hit back five minutes later when Gysbert Huisamen found space out wide to run in but the hosts responded almost immediately with a fine example of opportunism.
A high up and under on the last tackle bounced tantalisingly in the in goal area and Scott Pendlebury gratefully gathered up. Gardner once again kicked the extras to make it 12-8.
Storm grabbed the lead for a third time on 27 minutes when Matt Shaw finished off a concerted period of pressure to dive over the line from a couple of yards out. Ferguson’s kick made it 12-14 and that was how it stayed until the break.
The impressive Pendlebury was again in the thick of the action as he rounded off a good passing move to touch down in the corner on 50 minutes and restore Bramley’s lead.
The Buffaloes extended the gap with a close range score from Marc Gibson after great work by Tim Orr and Simon Bowker in midfield.
Gardner converted and then kicked a penalty on 67 minutes to leave the home side in control at 24-14.
Bramley fans were made to bite their nails as Storm notched their fourth try thanks to a good finish on the left wing by Carlos Zachorow with ten minutes remaining.
That made it 24-18 but the Buffaloes signed off their home season in style with Danny O’Connor charging over, with arms aloft, from ten yards out and Luke Sellers cantering in for a score in the corner with seconds remaining.
Buffaloes coach Phil Hellewell was pleased with the win: “It was a much closer game than I envisaged and they had us on the rope for a lot of the first half.
“I was disappointed we let them in for three tries but we kept battling away in the second half and got what we deserved.
“It’s frustrating that we don’t have a home game next week as we’d all been preparing for it but this is hopefully a good way of saying thank you to all of our great supporters.
“We hope we’re at home again but it’s all about how we do in the play-offs. It’s looking like fifth or sixth place but we’ll keep battling right to the end,” added Hellewell whose side now face a trip to Carlisle Centurions on September 11th to close their season after the resignation of Manchester Knights in midweek deprived Bramley of a final home fixture.