Sat 4 Dec 2021, 12:30
Leeds Tykes’ Club Captain Jake Brady praised his side’s determination following their narrow 21-19 victory over Tonbridge Juddians in a game he described as “a dog-fight”.
The match, which had all the hallmarks of a National One classic, was nip and tuck throughout. The conditions were unrelenting meaning both sides struggled to gain a foothold on proceedings.
The visitors from Kent took the lead despite several last-minute changes and opened the scoring through utility back Ryan Taylor-Dennehy’s penalty. However, Connor Lloyd kicked two penalties, edging the Tykes in front on 17 minutes.
Despite Taylor-Dennehy levelling the scores, the Tykes didn’t allow their heads to drop and responded immediately through Harry Robinson, who finished off a neat short side move. Lloyd converted to make it 13-6.
Perry Parker rumbled his way over at the base of a maul on the stroke of half time. Taylor-Dennehy converted to level the seesaw encounter at 13 apiece; both sides went into the sheds knowing that it would be all to play for in the second half.
In the first minute after the restart, Taylor-Dennehy added a further penalty to give his side the lead.
The wind and rain made the match one for the purists as 10 error-strewn minutes followed. Eventually, Lloyd stepped up once again to restore parity.
Andrew Lawson broke the defensive line and looked set to score, only to be ankle-tapped by Matt Foulds, who was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul.
The Tykes immediately made their numerical advantage count as Robinson notched up a brace. The try was just reward for their bold decision to go to the corner when it would have been easier to take the shot at goal. The winger was forced out wide, making the conversion difficult. Connor Lloyd’s attempt drifted wide.
The in-form Taylor-Dennehy narrowed the gap to 21-19 with 15 minutes to play, setting up a tense finale.
The whole Tykes squad worked as a unit and their defence stood firm despite several phases of intense pressure from TJs. The core values of hard work, no excuses, honesty and team first were on display in abundance. However, there was palpable relief from the home support when referee Owen Taylor eventually brought the match to a close.
Speaking after the game, Head Coach Jon Callard spoke positively about the improvements he had seen in recent weeks and credited the spirit and determination his young squad showed. He reserved particular praise for the forwards, saying they “dug in” against their bigger, more experienced opponents.
On the touchline, a delighted Brady said: “We did very well in such tough conditions and the result is proof of our development.
“It is important that we keep up the momentum from the last couple of games and we will go down to Plymouth with the mindset that we can win all the games until Christmas.”
Some photos from the match courtesy of John Ashton
