After the arctic weather of the last fortnight,Leos were delighted that the recent thaw,allowed the home league game against Skipton to go ahead.This was the sides first outing since the spirited victory at Rishworthians,when,due to John Howells' wedding,a vastly understrength team,returned with the points.

Leos were stronger on saturday,with skipper Robinson returning to the front row and Lane to No 8.With Henry missing his first game of the season,Liu dropped back to full back,with his former Leeds University collegue Sleight,coming in on the left wing.Skipton are enjoying a good season,after last years relegation and lie third in the table.They have a good blend of youth and experience,but on saturday were lacking their first choice props.

Although soft,the pitch had drained amazingly well and the game got underway in very pleasant still,calm and bright conditions.

Leos immediately put together some 12 phases of recycled ball,before Sleight was tackled into touch.As it turned out,this was to set the pattern for the entire game.The front row of Robinson,Forton and Dowling took an early strike against the head,whilst both Debenham and Freear won lineout ball.On 13 mins,a driving maul led by Lane and Dowling,took Robinson over the line for a 'try',but the badly positioned and unsighted referee,awarded a scrum instead.Leos were unable to keep the drive straight and Skipton somehow cleared their line.

Skipton were comfortable on their own lineout ball and their fly half gained good metres with his boot.However,Liu was returning the ball with confidence,whilst Baker also burst a couple of tackles from his own 22,Debenham and Forton were in support,but the impressive visitors back row,got back to make a try saving tackle.

The first quarter was played out entirely in the Skipton half,but on 23 mins,they secured clean lineout ball,moved the ball accurately from left to right and when they recycled to centre field,their No 8,broke two tackles to score under the posts.The conversion gave Skipton a seven point lead.Leos immediately responded,with the reliable Wainwright,putting over a 35m penalty,when Skipton failed to release at the tackle.

The remainder of the half was played out in the visitors 22,without Leos looking likely to breach the well structured defence.Neither Knibbs nor Winter could find a hole in the centres,whilst perhaps the ball wasn't transferred quickly enough to the dangerous wings of Baker and Sleight,although the referee was more concerned with refereeing the contact area than the offside line.Leos were repeatedly held up on the line,before conceding soft penalties,but equally great credit must go to the tenacious Skipton defence.It seemed only a matter of time,before the visitors line was broken.

Early in the second half,Connell and McIntosh came on in the front row,only for shortly afterwards skipper Robinson having to go off to be replaced by Loughenbury - so an entire new front row for Leos.

The game continued in much the same pattern,with Leos taking the occassional strike against the head,Wood and Wainwright probing for a gap,but the impressive visitors back row doing better on the ground,whilst their threequarters hardly missed a tackle all game.Levitt,Lane and Barden worked hard,driving into the visitors pack,but Skipton,who committed few players to the breakdown,would not be broken.

Wainwright was short with a 40m penalty on 63mins,Liu regularly beat his first man,but couldn't get clear,whilst Sleight showed impressive balace and footwork.

Leos began to lose a little patience and conceded a couple of soft penalties on the visitors line,but it finally seemed that Leos had secured victory,when Liu made another break and found a rare over lap for Sleight to run clear,but the referee ruled the final pass forward.

A disappointing outcome for Leos,but credit must go to the tremendous defensive effort of Skipton,particularly their back row and centres.In the only other game played,Huddersfield remained top,defeating West Park Leeds 29 - 8.Skipton remain in third place and Leos sixth,in a very tight mid table.

Next week,weather permitting,Leos travel across the city,to West Leeds,who Leos have already defeated twice this season.However,West Leeds are showing more impressive recent form,including a home win over second placed Pocklington.
Reporter Peter Cooke
Leos:Penalty Wainwright
Leos:Liu,Baker,Winter,Knibbs,Sleight,Wainwright,Wood,Robinson,Forton,Dowling,Freear,Debenham,Barden,
Lane,Levitt,Macintosh,Loughenbury,Connell
Skipton:Nicholson,Wooton,Richards,Howson,Davy,Naylor,Barraclough,Binner,Sheehan,Lambert,Ingham,
Willsher,Speres,Boatwright,Murray,Kulik,Rwilser,Ackers-Johnson