Scott try gives Brods victory

Old Brodleians opened their account for the campaign yesterday with a 17-11 home win over a West Leeds side who look sure to be a force in Yorkshire One this season.
Brods v Heath 

 Liam Scott scoring the final try.Brods v Heath 

 Liam Scott scoring the final try.
Brods v Heath Liam Scott scoring the final try.

A try entering the closing stages from stand off Liam Scott, converted by No 8 Ollie Akroyd, helped the Woodhead men atone for their fruitless trip to Bridlington on the opening Saturday.

The sides were evenly matched in a fractious, exciting contest but Brods created more chances and powerful winger Zak Thompson twice got to the try line but had put a foot in touch.

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Brods fielded a different front row from the one unable to win any scrum ball in the second half on the east coast.

American prop Bennie Pritchett looked the part on debut alongside George Ashton and the returning Reece Ward.

Matt Raven, switched from hooker to lock, continued to throw into the lineouts, which provided a rich source of possession.

West Leeds have come up on the crest of a wave, not only as Yorkshire Two champions but winners of the Yorkshire Shield and RFU Senior Vase at Twickenham.

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They had crushed North Ribblesdale 66-14 in their opener at the higher level and have a stand off in Dale Breakwell who kicks like a mule and looked an assured goal kicker.

His ability to clear danger highlighted Brods’ failings in this department, the visitors from Wortley taking advantage of two poor home kicks to open the scoring wide out through right winger Ned Rutty on six minutes.

Brods responded well up the slope and Akroyd squeezed a penalty just inside the left-hand upright on 17 minutes, only for Breakwell to make it 3-8 from long range shortly after.

West Leeds “mixed it” with a couple of pieces of foul play - winger Jack Marshall was sin-binned - but that only served to fire up the home side.

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The Hipperholme side took advantage of their man advantage to take a deserved interval lead with a 33rd minute try. Scott kicked diagonally to the flank, winger Michael Briggs was first to the ball and Scott provided great support to help Briggs cross 10 metres to the right of the posts. Akroyd converted.

Breakwell thumped over a 40 metre penalty one minute after the break to give the visitors an 11-10 lead and West Leeds held a territorial advantage for much of the third quarter without threatening to add to their early try.

When Brods eventually gained ground Akroyd was narrowly off target from long range.

Thompson was halted two yards short in the corner but West Leeds’ fine defence was undone when they seemed to stop and watch the ball bounce twice from an aimless Brods pass. Scott picked up and crossed the try line untouched, Akroyd adding the extras.

After a flare-up involving numerous players in front of the clubhouse, West Leeds engineered a half-chance wide on the right but lost the ball into touch and the final whistle sounded.