Already-relegated East Leeds turned the form book upside down with a victory over third-placed Shaw Cross Sharks in National Conference Division Two on Wednesday night.
Two tries from former Super League centre Thomas Minns bookended victory as East Leeds showed the greater will to win. Other than the two tries that established a 0-10 advantage, the first period was largely one to forget with both sides spilling lots of ball.
The visitors opened the scoring after just two minutes when Owen Hughes kicked wide and James Duckworth got the ball inside for Minns to touch down. Luke Littlewood couldn't goal and it remained 0-4 until the 35th minute although Duckworth saw a score disallowed and Ben Ripley was tackled into touch for Shaw Cross. Some superb cover from Josh Wood denied another chance for the hosts after Callum Barker put a teasing short kick in.
East Leeds second try was a cracker and came after another strong run from Duckworth which helped set up the position for Hughes to send Luke Littlewood haring over by the posts. Littlewood also goaled and it was 0-10 after 35 minutes.
At the start of the second half, Littlewood threatened to get away from the defence, only to be felled by an ankle tap, but East Leeds were to stretch their advantage eight minutes in. It proved an excellent effort too as Brandon Crossland, Kane Riley, Hughes, and Littlewood all touched the ball and moved play left for wing Ajay Wilson to finish superbly in the corner. Littlewood goaled and it was 0-16.
The visitors thought they had scored a fourth try after 52 minutes but Hughes was ruled offside. In frustration, he threw the ball away, which was deemed as slowing play down, and sinbinned. In his absence, Shaw Cross grafted and won some position of their own before young halfback Evan Stephenson carved through the middle and finished brilliantly for Dec Tomlinson to goal. The visitors Adam Keedy was held up over the line and after turning over possession, Minns followed up with a crunching tackle that won the ball back for East Leeds.
The game continued to ebb and flow until Duckworth blotted his copybook in rolling the ball away. This was again ruled a delay of the game and the winger was sinbinned. Despite being reduced to twelve players again, it was East Leeds who somehow created an overlap for Minns to dive acrobatically into the corner to seal a 6-20 win that gives the visitors plenty to ponder ahead of a Division Three campaign next year.
