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St Helens Reserve Team 28 v 24 Leeds Rhinos Reserve Team

By Graham Henthorne, Team Manager

A try three minutes from time from Akin Okunola was enough to snatch the Rhinos unbeaten record and replace them at the top of the table.

In a thrilling curtain raiser to the main event the Reserves dug deep to come from behind and allow the on loan winger to squeeze in at the corner. Jamie Foster’s touchline conversion from the popular side was the icing on the cake.

Injuries and the need to field teams from the Under 12’s up to the First Team, gave Coach Ian Talbot little leeway in picking his side and this unfamiliarity was shown up in the opening minutes as the Reserves made their now characteristic slow start. A burst down the left set up position for the ball to be passed along the line and the try was scored on the right hand side.

This only galvanised the Saints and they hit back quickly and in style.

An interception on his own 10 metre from line from Stand Off (yes Stand Off!) Kurt Haggerty allowed Dave Hull to take play into the Rhinos half. Quick play the balls took the play to the line before Sean Magennis fed top scorer Paul Johnson to add to his tally in the right corner.

The Saints were on fire now and were pinning the Rhinos back. Good work down the left allowed Jamie Ellis to hoist a last tackle cross kick back to the right corner. The ball was dropped and Dave Hull pounced on the loose ball to score. Unfortunately Foster couldn’t convert but he was on the mark five minutes later converting Dean McGilvray’s try.

After a penalty for offside a quick tap from Paul Johnson kept the Rhinos on the back foot. They never recovered and when the ball was spread left quick hands gave Dean an overlap into the corner.

The Saints were in control at this stage but injuries to Dave Hull and Sam Thompson forced a further reshuffle of an already changed side and Leeds found a foothold. Two tries before the half hour brought them to within two points.

Again the Saints, led by Magennis, Emmitt and Cunliffe galvanised themselves and crucially hit back just before the break. Great kicking from Jamie Ellis gave the Reserves two repeat sets and the Rhinos finally cracked under the pressure.

A short ball from Ellis was expertly tipped over both his and the oppositions head by Dave Roughley. When he’d recovered his bearings he realised he had 10 unobstructed metres to go to the line and duly touched down to the left of the sticks. Foster’s third conversion gave the Saints a valuable eight point lead at the break.

The second half started in dramatic fashion. Had Andrew Dixon held on to Phil Baines’ pass and touched down then it may have been an easier afternoon for all concerned. However, it was not to be and the Rhinos went straight down the other end and scored with a neat grubber through the line to bring them back within two.

The real arm wrestle then started. The Rhinos’ pack started to exert itself and tired legs meant that cracks were starting to appear in the Saints defensive line culminating in the go ahead try for the Rhinos.

Down to only two substitutions for the remaining quarter and with the heat taking its toll the writing looked on the wall for the Saints but again resolve and character were found from somewhere and the Reserves went straight back at them.

With seven minutes remaining Magennis kicked to the right, Foster regained possession took it back inside and fed Dixon only for him, agonisingly, to knock on. But the cracks were starting to show in the Rhinos defence and the tired Saints took heart.

Dean McGilvray intercepted and went 40 metres before being run down. The Saints were roaring back and the Rhinos were starting to commit penalties to keep them at bay.

Three minutes to go and first McGilvray and then Dixon were held short. From the play the ball the ball was spread right and first Baines and then Johnson both committed their men before giving Okunola the chance to win it.

Finishing with only 14 fit men and against a Rhinos outfit boasting First Team squad members this was a magnificent backs to the wall performance from all concerned. One definitely worthy of the top spot in the League.

St Helens Reserve Team	Leeds Rhinos Reserve Team
Phil Baines	Lee Smith
Dean McGilvray	Ben Collins
Jamie Foster	Jodie Broughton
Paul Johnson	James Archibald
Dave Hull	Danny Lawton
Kurt Haggerty	Simon Brown
Jamie Ellis	Paul McShane
Danny Cooper	Joe Chandler
Lee Cunliffe	Ben Kaye
Sam Thompson	Luke Hardbottle
Andrew Dixon	Liam Brown
Sean Magennis	Chris Clarkson
Jake Emmitt	Mathew Fox
Dale Bloomfield	Chris Hope
Dave Roughley	Joe Howey
Akin Okunola	Dale Manning
Liam Bland	Kashley Watkins