Leeds Tykes 30 Fylde RFC 17: League leaders pushed all the way

A 20-minute spell either side of half-time ultimately proved the difference as Fylde lost two men to the sinbin and shipped four tries.

Looking to avoid the slow start which cost them at Rotherham a fortnight earlier, Fylde forced errors and kept Leeds pinned back.

The game was open with both teams showing adventure but defences held firm until they were able to force an error.

Fylde’s Jordan Dorrington and Sam Parker made breaks before Will Wooton threw a long pass out to Adam Lanigan, but they could not clear out at the breakdown.

Leeds turned over the ball and advanced upfield before winning a penalty, which Seremia Turagabeci knocked over for a 3-0 lead on 22 minutes.

Fylde were not daunted, chasing a kick and seeing a Leeds defender make a hash of an attempted offload.

Dorrington pounced on the loose ball to score and, although the conversion was missed, Fylde were 5-3 in front.

Back came Leeds with Fylde on the defensive for five minutes before Toby Harrison was yellow-carded for repeated team infringements, though Leeds had not been camped in the red zone and no team warning appeared to have been given.

Nevertheless, it allowed Turagabeci to slot over another penalty and nudge Leeds back in front at 6-5.

A difficult spell followed for Fylde and Leeds made hay while the sun shone.

A poor read in defence left an overlap, eventually ending with Leeds recycling ball for Adebowale Ademakin to crash over for a converted try near the posts.

Another 50-yard break by Leeds led to more defensive disarray, two penalties and a yellow card to Greg Smith.

The catch-and-drive lineout gave Ademakin his second try in five minutes and, from competing on an even footing, Fylde trailed 20-5 at the break and would start the second half with only 13 men.

They withstood early second-half pressure until the 47th minute when, with Fylde still one man down, Leeds fashioned an overlap for Henry MacNab to score and make it 25-5.

Back to their full complement, Fylde made some changes to wrestle back possession and territory gains.

Wooton’s break put Leeds on the back foot and, at the next phase, Ben Gregory burst through to touch down near the posts, Smith converting to make it 25-12 on 50 minutes.

MacNab scored his second three minutes later to put Leeds 30-12 up, after which the game turned into a competitive tussle.

Fylde camped out in the Leeds 22 late on and forced a raft of penalties, including three at the scrum, before a yellow card was shown to Thomas Williams with barely seconds left on the clock.

Wooton’s quick tap and go created space for the overlap and Tom Forster touched down to give Fylde the last word.

Leeds Tykes: Venables, MacNab, Dixon, Thomas Williams, Jukes, Turagabeci, Hardwick, Tobias Williams, A Brown, Cordice, Collins, Kenyon, Brady, Teague, E Brown. Replacements: Yorke, Nuu, Ademakin, Grant, Lucock.

Fylde RFC: Clayton, Turner, Dorrington, Forster, Lanigan, Smith, Wooton, Bowker, Gregory, Altham, Garrod, Parkinson, Hall-Lyon, Harrison, Parker. Replacements: Brooks, Raymont, Ashcroft, Bentley, Carleton.