Fri 22 Apr 2022, 19:30
Leeds Tykes took maximum points under the lights in a determined, high energy performance at Darlington Arena.
Darlington Mowden Park’s hooker Ralph Appleby opened the scoring on his 350th appearance for his club with a try off the back of a driving maul. Within minutes Leeds levelled from a pass out of the back of the maul for Harry Jukes to score out wide after charging through a narrow gap. When Tykes were penalised for not releasing, Garry Law’s simple kick in front of the posts edged the hosts back ahead.
Just before the half-hour mark, Charlie Venables chipped the ball forward, Jacob Mounsey beat the opposition and the dead ball line to dot down. Leeds started to dominate the game. They were rewarded with their efforts when a Charlie Venables penalty extended the lead and a combination from the backs released Andrew Lawson who delivered the ball to Harry Jukes who ran in for his second try of the evening. Venables was unable to convert.
After the restart, DMP’s captain, Ollie Hodgson, was binned for a high tackle. Tykes took full advantage of the extra man with a sustained mauling attack close to the line. Matt Burke found the gap to score. Tighe Maxwell-Whiteley put the conversion wide. DMP replied as fullback Chris McTurk crossed in the corner with Law adding the extras. Leeds’s fifth try came from another near score from the forwards who shipped the ball out wide with the final acts being Turagabeci passing to Andrew Lawson who scored out wide. Tighe Maxwell-Whiteley’s conversion was successful.
After the match, a jubilant Jon Callard said: “Two performances with two bonus points wins, performing the way we did is really pleasing. These boys deserve everything. They’ve never let anything get them down. They've never let them get themselves upset and never gone away from a challenge.
“We've done a job today, but we need to finish it off next week and at the final home game and then hopefully, fingers crossed, we've done what we needed to do this season.”
