Leaders Heath come from behind to vanquish Leos
HEATH WERE made to battle all the way at Leodiensians, eventually winning 29-24 to stay top of Yorkshire One.
Heath immediately went on the attack with Mark Puttick going close to opening Heath’s account. But Leos secured a penalty after five minutes to take the lead, 3-0.
Leos began to frustrate Heath, who were not firing on all cylinders, and from yet another break they were awarded a second penalty to increase their lead to 6-0 with 25 minutes played.
Shortly after, Ezra Hinchliffe converted a penalty on 30 minutes to reduce the arrears to 6-3.
But Leos were on top and quickly restored their lead to 9-3 with a third penalty before scoring a converted try just before half time to lead 16-3.
On 53 minutes, more mistakes by Heath enabled Leos to pounce, scoring a second try, to increase the lead to 21-3, and Heath looked dead and buried.
But Heath moved the ball quickly along the back line and Eddie Cartwright was on hand to score a try in the corner, converted by Ezra Hinchliffe and Heath were back in the game at 21-10, with 56 minutes played.
From another Heath attack Eddie Cartwright seemed certain to score but slipped with the try line beckoning, but Heath kept the ball moving and
Callum Harriett-Brown went over for a second try, 21-15.
Leos responded with yet another penalty to lead 24-15, but Harriett-Brown off-loaded to Jordan Moana and his pass to Dom Walsh enabled him to score a third try for Heath, converted by Ezra Hinchliffe, 2224.
Heath were now rampant and from the restart Cartwright hoofed the ball forwards and Harriett-Brown won the chase for the ball and scored a great try, Hinchliffe adding the extras and Heath led for the first time at 29-24 with minutes left as they snatched a vital win.
Heath now take a break from league action as they prepare for a Yorkshire Shield quarterfinal on Saturday at Bradford and Bingley, before returning to league action with a home game against Pontefract at the start of February.
ONLINE: www.halifaxcourier. co.uk