6 Oct 2014
Wests lift Challenge Trophy
West Hull lifted the RFL Conference Challenge Trophy with a 36-16 win over East Leeds as part of the Championships Finals Day at Headingley Stadium.
The green and golds ability to start both halves brightly and defensive resilience inevitably brought about the comfortable victory.
Winger Jack Lazenby opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Scott Patris and Louis Crowther linked well for a Brett Turner try, both of which were unconverted.
East Leeds hit back on the quarter of an hour mark when centre Declan Tomlinson leaped into the air to catch a bomb to the corner. A missed conversion left the score at 8-4.
Tomlinson came close to putting his side level just ten minutes later but was denied by the officials who ruled he had been unable to ground the ball correctly.
The Leeds-based side then proved to be too adventurous in their fight to get back into the game. Whilst trying to return a kick into their own in-goal, a pass went wayward allowing Josh Hart to score an easy try. Ian Kerman goaled to give West Hull a 14-4 lead with 26 minutes played.
But East Leeds hit back ten minutes later, Ryan Gaunt finding Jake Normington who had the overlap but was able to dummy and power over himself. Nathan Conroy goaled to put his side back within touching distance at the break.
Once again West Hull started the half brightly, touching down twice on the left flank to re-instate a healthy lead. Substitute Matthew Plummer and centre Dan Parker claimed the tries but two missed conversions left the score at 22-10.
The gap was soon stretched to three tries when Tom Radley broke before offloading to Lazenby who raced in under the sticks for his second try. An easy conversion for Kerman followed and took the score to 28-10.
East Leeds looked to respond but received a damming blow when Sam Cator intecepted and went full length, Kerman converting for an unassailable 34-10 lead.
With 17 minutes remaining Kerman then took the option of adding a penalty goal to make the deficit 26 points.
Jason Priestley and Ben Walkin were both sin-binned as part of seperate incidents in the final quarter of an hour. But East Leeds managed to react to their absence, scoring a consolation through Adam Hartley which Conroy goaled from the touchline.
West Hull: Turner, Lazenby, Radley, Hart, Kerman, Patris, Garmston, Windley, Howlett, Lawler, Crowther, Steen.
Replacements: Plummer, S Cator, Roberts, L Cator.
T: Lazenby 2, Turner, Hart, Plummer, Parker, Cator
G: Kerman 4/8
East Leeds: Sheldrake, Jordan Normington, D Tomlinson, Hartley, J Priestley, Conroy, Gaunt, Pettman, L Tomlinson, Clarke, Walkin, Jake Normington, Quinlan.
Replacements: Fisher, Forsell, Nurse, L Priestley.
T: D Tomlinson, Jake Normington, Hartley
G: Conroy 2/3
Referee: Andy Bentham
HT: 14-10
Man of the Match: Callum Windley
Match report by Nathan Lawrenson
