'LIONS' Suffer Agonising Defeat

The game was preceded by the official opening of Leicester Lions’ new clubhouse, with guest of honour the ex-England and Leicester rugby captain, Martin Johnson.

It was an overcast early Autumn afternoon for Lions’ game against local rivals South Leicester. There was a breeze across the pitch, in South Leicester’s favour in the first half and Lions’ favour in the second half.

Lions started with some lively play in this local derby, putting the South Leicester line under pressure.
South Leicester’s Sam McNulty was yellow carded for a technical offence on 4 minutes.

Lions followed on with some driving play and Harry Key went over for a try on 5 minutes, which he converted.
On 14 minutes Ben Palmer scored a penalty for South Leicester.

South Leicester came back into the game with back-row Dan Ireland driving over the line for a try on 25 minutes, converted by Palmer.
On 39 minutes Lions’ Jonny Murdoch was yellow carded for a technical offence.

In the dying minutes of the first half South Leicester put Lions under pressure, working their way down the pitch to the Lions’ try line, spinning the ball wide for winger Will Cave to go over in the corner. Palmer added a fine touch-line conversion.

Half Time: Leicester Lions 7 South Leicester 17

In the second half a resolute Lions team came back into the game.
On 55 minutes a quickly taken tap penalty by Alex Wilcockson caught South Leicester on the hop, when he jinked his way through the South Leicester defence for a try, again converted by Key.

Lions’ Laurence Warren-West had only been on the pitch for two minutes as a replacement when he drove forward, shimmied through evading the South Leicester defence to go over for Lions’ third try, converted by Key, to put Lions 21-17 in the lead.

South Leicester were not going to give up easily and came back to put Lions’ line under pressure in the last five minutes. From thrusting play South Leicester’s Timo Koster drove through the centre to go over the line. Following consultations between the referee and his two assistants the try was awarded, with Palmer adding the conversion, to make the score 21-24. This was the last play of the game.