Leos 28 Knottingley 30

Report by Geoff Bennett

Playing at home enabled Tim Fforde to play in the second row as it did not violate the terms of “her indoor orders” - the conditions of which seems to preclude him from playing outside of the LS postcode!! Mark Wynter returned at full back with the dangerous James Lund continuing to make an impact on the wing. Nick Burdon’s first absence for 2 seasons gave another opportunity to James “the body” Haslam in the back row, and Ed Connell took over the Captain's arm band.

Knottingley had started the season strongly, and before the game lie just two points off the leaders. They arrived at crag lane on the back of a 26-21 win over North Ribblesdale last weekend, and in their line up featured ex-Morley stars Fieldhouse and Chippendale, joining skipper David Sonia.

Nobody on the touchline could possibly have envisaged what an unbelievable game of rugby awaited them, as whilst games over the past few years have been tense close affairs this game “took the biscuit”

Leos came at Knottingley from the start with such ferocity and commitment that Knottingley were on the back foot. Within 5 minutes the Leos pack went blind from a rolling maul, and drove hooker Beeb over the line out wide in the corner. Leos 5 – Knottingley 0.

From the Knottingley kick off, the ball was fed across the Leos backs through the hands of Matt Freear and Knibbsy and then Mark Wynter took the inside pass and wrong footed the Knottingley defence, slipping the ball to the supporting McDaid who scored a superb try near the post. Matt Freear tagged the conversion and after 8 minutes it was Leos 12 -Knottingley 0.

Leos continued to monopolise play with the visitors literally unable to get their hands on the ball, and the Leos pack with Lenny Lane, Rick Bell and second row Stafford showing up well, Leos pushed the visitors deep into their own 22. In their efforts to try and slow the game down Knottingley were penalised for holding-on, allowing Matt Freear to add the penalty from 30 metres out to extend the lead to Leos 15 -Knottingley 0.

More was to come from the Leos. The ball was being thrown out wide with Wynter, Stu Wilson and James Lund looking dangerous, but it was the forwards who had the next say. From a scrum on the 10 metre line some neat interchanging between Connell, Warwick and Litherland, (who had replaced Beeb following a leg injury), the ball was passed once more inside to the ever supporting Lenny Lane who motored 30 metres to out sprint the visitors defence and score near the posts. Matt Freear for once failed with the conversion but the score was extended to Leos 20 -Knottingley 0.

The sizeable crowd were rubbing their eyes at the best rugby Leos had produced for many a day and more was to follow!

Fforde once more won the lineout and the supporting Leos pack drove on up field. Freear released the backs and centre McDaid wrong footed the defence and sprinted 25 metres to score his second try of the game and extend further the Leos score to 25-0 after only 27 minutes!

Knottingley regrouped and for the first time in the game gained some possession through their big forwards and drove up field with centre Turon looking dangerous with ball in hand. A lineout on the Leos 22 was won by Chippendale and from neat interplay between half backs Evans and Seed the scrum half side-stepped the Leos defence to score a good try out wide to reduce the deficit to Leos 25-Knottingley 5.

Knottingley indiscipline cost them when number 10 Evans was shown a yellow card and given 10 minutes in the sin bin for an illegal challenge on full back Mark Wynter. Matt freear tagged on the 3 points from a well taken penalty 35 metres out to send Leos into half time with commanding lead Leos 28 –Knottingley 5

The first 40 minutes were probably the best rugby Leos had played certainly this season and probably for most of last season. The forwards were superb with the front row of Connell, Warwick and Litherland featuring strongly, the engine room Fforde and Stafford bossed the line out against two very strong opponents and the back row of Lane, Bell haslam and Levitt were like live wires around the park.

In the backs Wynter had made some great runs into the line Norton and Lund had run hard on the wings Knibbsy had created good space and Mcdaid had scored two wonderfully taken trys. With half backs Matt Freear and Chilly Wood dominating, Leos must have thought that victory was a foregone conclusion.

If you think back to last December when Phil Brown the Hull City manger gave his side a stern team talk on the pitch - the coach of Knottingley did the same and the next 40 minutes, if you were not there, was somewhat of a dream! From Leos totally dominating the game in the first 40 minutes, whether it was complacency on the Leos side, the team talk given by the Knottingley coach or the sheer determination of the Knottingley side - the roles in the second half were totally reversed and no football pundit including Alan Hanson and Alan Shearer could have possibly predicted the turn round of events that was to follow.

Knottingley tore right into the Leos pack from the restart and gained territorial advantage in the Leos 22. For the first time in the match, the Knottingley pack started to win ball and on 45 minutes second row Clayton reduced the deficit for Knottingley with a well taken try out in the right hand corner following a rolling maul when he was driven over the line Leos 28 Knottingley 10

Leos made two substitutions with Lynch coming on at scrum half for chilly wood and Lane who had an outstanding first half coming off with a slight leg strain to be replaced by Bell

The Knottingley supporters were now very vociferously getting behind their team recognising that they could still be in the game and the visitors continued to dominate possession and became camped in the Leos half.

On 60 minutes, following further pressure by the resurgent Knottingley pack, Clayton was driven once more over the Leos line again wide out in the corner Leos 28-Knottingley 15.
The game was turning on its head with Knottingley now dominating possession and it was now Leos who were stifled of possession. On 65 minutes Knottingley reduced the lead further when winger Brown scored a good try in the corner following some intelligent interplay by the Knottingley backs. Leos 28 – Knottingley 20

Whether it was because coaches Worrall and Kirke were away or skipper Burdon was not on hand, alarm bells were ringing as the confidence displayed in the first 40 minutes was gone and Knottingley reduced the lead further on 70 minutes when the referee adjudged an infringement by a Leos forward to allow evens the opportunity to kick a penalty from 30 metres to make the score Leos 28 –Knottingley 23

Leos were then down to 14 men when second row Fforde was penalised for lying across the ball to be given a yellow card and sin bin for 10 minutes.

On 78 minutes with a man to the good Knottingley drove the Leos pack back and Sonia was driven over the Leos line. Evans kept his cool and landed the conversation to give Knottingley the lead Leos 28 –Knottingley 30.

The ref played 4 minutes of added time allowing Forde to get back on the field from his yellow card. With one last throw of the dice Leos won the ball threw it out wide where Wynter joined the line broke down the right hand side into the 22 passed to Lund who with one man to beat was tackled short of the line Knottingley cleared into touch and the ref blew his whistle for full time,

Final score Leos 28 – Knottingley 30

The Knottingley players and supporters were in raptures having secured the most unlikely of victories. Leos were desolate knowing that this was a game that they should have won.

Incredible really - the first 40 minutes as captain Ed Connell said after the match were the best rugby Leos had played for a long time whereas the second half in his words was the poorest for equally as long.

Was it Leos who switched off in the second half or was it Knottingley that played really well? Probably both, but to the neutral it was a fantastic game to watch, The problem was there were no neutrals you were either a knottingley supporter who must have thought they had won the lottery following the half time score line or a Leos supporter who went from a feeling of euphoria to whatever the opposite is!!!

From Leo’s perspective we need to learn from this game, we clearly have the quality there, but need to play for 80 minutes.

Man of the match for Leos based on the first 40 minutes goes to centre Mark McDaid for two-quality tries.

Next week we have the opportunity of getting back to winning ways with the next league fixture at North Ribblesdale Kick off 2.15pm

Most of the first team squad have now registerd for the website.Could the following now please register as we are looking to confirm selection in future via the website:
Wynter,Norton,Lynch,Sommerville,Bardon,Lane,FFFForde