Leicester Lions 20, Bradford & Bingley 17

With five minutes of regulation time remaining in this National League Three North fixture, Bradford & Bingley were 17-3 in front and looking on course for an excellent win against the high-flying Lions.

However, a good quarter of an hour later, in the 11th minute of time added on, it was the Bees who stood behind their posts watching a winning conversion sail through the uprights following a try right at the death from right winger Twelve-trees.

The turning point in the game was in that 75th minute when, at a maul 15 metres out from the Bradford & Bingley line, player-coach Neil Spence was adjudged to have come off his feet competing for the ball and the referee had no hesitation in brandishing the yellow card.

This appeared a harsh decision and completely changed the course of the game.

Spence had been a constant menance around the fringes and was winning just about every challenge for a loose ball.

No sooner had Spence trotted disconsolately to the bench than Lions livewire centre Gareth Collins sliced through the Bees defensive line for the score.

The youngster, who is on Leicester Tigers' books, deserved to get on the scoreboard after looking threatening all afternoon, but there was some irony that the line he took through the Bees defence next to a maul was straight through a gap where he might normally have expected a welcoming hug from Spence had he still been on the field.

The conversion from Jon Boden put the Lions only seven points behind their visitors and, with the wind at their backs, the home side looked a different proposition as the Bees kicked off.

Bradford & Bingley did manage to get their hands on the ball for two drives close to the Lions line but on both occassions turned the ball over when all that was needed was to keep hold of it and run down the clock.

Furthermore, the referee hadn't finished with his yellow card as Richard Hughes was sent for ten minutes in the bin - the third time this season that the Bees have had two men off the field and the third time they have lost a game by conceding scores playing the game a man short.

The Bees opened the scoring in the fourth minute as Mark Kirkby finished off a break from Richard Tafa to glide in at the corner.

In the difficult wind, Tom Rhodes could not improve the score, and indeed struggled all game with his place kicking, missing four penalties before handing over to Stuart Dixon.

No 10 Rhodes otherwise had an immaculate game kicking from hand and kept his backline buzzing with a varied game.

Five minutes before half-time the Bees increased their lead as Ian Judson powered over with the assistance of Hughes. Dixon's conversion and a penalty from Boden meant the sides turned round at 12-3.

Ten minutes into the second half, the Bees looked to have done enough to wrap up the victory as Sione Onesi was driven over by his pack putting the Bees 14 points in front.

All credit to the Lions that they did not let their heads drop and kept battling right until the final second, but if the Bees had kept 15 men on the field it could have been a different story.