Wharfedale 10 Leicester Lions 24

ANOTHER slow start and some poor tackling from Wharfedale in the opening ten minutes allowed Leicester Lions to build a match-winning

19-point lead.

The visitors' decision to play with the wind in the first half paid off as Wharfedale slipped to the bottom of National League Two North.

Leicester were strong in defence and controlled the ball well.

Both sides attempted to play some good open rugby which made light of the difficult conditions.

Wharfedale won a Lions line-out in their own 22 but then quickly lost the ball and Patrick Ryan ran in for a try which Jonathan Boden converted. The home side regathered the restart but then squandered the ball and Lions fed Devon Constant who ran in a try from his own ten-metre line. Boden again slotted the conversion.

The third try came from a Boden break in midfield and Henry Clement was on hand to finish the move off.

Wharfedale finally got on the scoreboard with a Tom Barrett penalty before the Lions grabbed a bonus-point try from a line-out on half way which Dale seemed to have stolen.

Alex Smit touched down wide to the left, but Boden struggled with the conversion into the wind.

Jamie Guy grabbed a try for Wharfedale, with a minute to go, which Barrett converted, but it was a mere consolation.