Crosfields start to the 2018 went from bad to worse with back to back defeats

this time at the hands of East Leeds. In Baltic conditions on a temporary park pitch both sides and hardy supporters deserve a lot of credit for turning out and putting on a decent game by two evenly matched sides.

East Leeds 26
Crosfields 10

Crosfields start to the 2018 went from bad to worse with back to back defeats, this time at the hands of East Leeds. In Baltic conditions on a temporary park pitch both sides and hardy supporters deserve a lot of credit for turning out and putting on a decent game by two evenly matched sides.

The score line may suggest different but this was a tight affair, the home team managed the conditions, the ball and their squad better proving the difference.

Jimmy Williams was proud of the effort and pleased with the replacement squad members full back Alex Clutterbuck, winger Bailey Hartley and forward Liam James who acquitted themselves admirably.

With 5 starters missing for the first away trip of the season it was always going to be a challenge to come away with the points, but the visitors demonstrated encouraging resolve and team unity that will be much needed in this challenging division.

East Leeds opened the scoring on 15 minutes with a long range effort made possible following a slip in defence creating an opening. This was followed 5 minutes later as a kick to the corner from Jack Reid was collected on his own line by the home team left centre who raced the length of the field for a sucker punch try that was goaled to extend the home lead to 12 points.

A speculative kick on the stroke of half time ricocheted off the post protector and the head of a Soap player before landing in the hands of the attack to lead to another home converted try that saw the visitors almost home and hosed with an 18-0 lead at half time.

Much the same as the previous week against Hull Dockers, Crosfields gave themselves a mountain to climb that was compounded further as the home team extended their lead straight after the break to surely take the game away from the visitors.

Again, much the same as last week the visitors dug in and didn’t throw in the towel, clawing back two tries in 10 minutes by man of the match Hayden James to provide some faint hope of a come back. But it was too little too late and as conditions worsened the home side sealed their win with a try against the run of play to compound a miserable start to the Crosfields season.

Williams took positives from the game and was pleased with the effort but knows things need to improve quickly if the side are going to come out of this poor spell and get some points on the board.

Best for Crosfields were the James brothers, Hayden and Liam, young props Tom Brown and Tom Millington and Alex Clutterbuck who dealt with many high balls from full back in testing conditions brilliantly.

Next week the Soap are at home to Wigan St. Jude’s Kick Off 2:30pm hoping to get their season on track with a much needed win.