West Leeds 24

Huddersfield YMCA 34

(Yorkshire II)

YOUTH overcame experience as YMCA’s band of talented youngsters rose to the occasion to beat the ‘old heads’ of West Leeds.

Without skipper Neil Walker and prop Mark Lockwood through injury, YM fielded seven players, aged 19 and under, including the all 19-year-old front row of Stephen Dyke, Stuart Dyke and William Sellars, who were outstanding.

Behind them, their former Colts teammate Sam Hodge tackled everything, while the side’s ‘senior’ player Tim Horner, playing a revitalised role at full-back was often involved in attacking play.

YM were first on the scoresheet after 10 minutes, when Horner burst through the West Leeds line and fed the supporting Russell Barber, who touched down wide out, but was unable to add his own conversion.

Leeds’ fly-half David Breakwell pulled three points back with a penalty, but YM extended their lead when this time, Barber turned provider for Horner who crossed in the corner, and this time Barber added the extras

Breakwell popped over another penalty, but West Leeds were powerless to prevent Horner getting his second try after another solid scrum on the home line.

With YM’s forwards getting on top and their backs rampant it looked like the points were in the bag, but West Leeds had other ideas and stepped up their game to put pressure on YM’s defence who conceded a couple of penalties converted by Breakwell to keep his side in the match at 17-12 by the interval.

An early second half penalty from Barber was wiped out when former YM player Steve Anderson stole the ball from Simon Wilson at the back of a ruck and touched down, much to the annoyance of the YM scrum half, who found himself in the sin-bin for disagreeing with the referee’s interpretation of the offside law.

Breakwell added the conversion to make it a one-point game and West Leeds then took the lead for the first time in the match when full-back Merritt called for a mark, took a quick tap and ran 40 metres before handing to Anderson who ran 50 yards to score.

YM now found themselves 24-20 down and at this point the match could have gone either way, but the visitors’ fitness now began to tell and with Gavin Stead replacing John Smith on the wing and 18-year-old Jack Housley coming on in the second row for Simon Whitehead, YM now had seven Under 19s on the park.

With eight minutes to go Barber made a break which was carried on by Horner who in turn fed Stead to hare down the touchline and score in the corner, Barber added the goal.

The game was finally made safe in the closing minutes with probably the best try of the afternoon, when Alex Shaw fielded a Leeds kick and the powerful wing burst down the centre of the field. Quickly rucked ball was moved into the centres where Horner was again prominent before sending Stead away who drew the full-back and put in second rower Kevin Hellawell for the clinching score.

YMCA: Horner; Shaw, Barber, Williams, Smith (Stead 70); Swift, Wilson; Dyke (Ste), Dyke (Stu), Sellars, Helliwell, Whitehead (Housley 70), Hodge, Tuivunilagi (Leone-Mazza 45), Pollock.