LEIGH LEOPARDS 0 YORK VALKYRIE 26
KASEY SMITH, Golborne Parkside, Saturday
YORK gained a confidence-building victory having kept Leigh scoreless for only their second win in the Women’s Super League.
Valkyrie have not had the start to the season they would have hoped for, having won the league the year before, and they found the Leopards a tough nut to crack at Golborne – despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise.
Since their semi-final heartbreak at St Helens a month ago, the York side has undergone several changes – the latest being the addition of French international Sarah Menaa, who had a solid debut for Valkyrie, but most impressive was Agnes Wood who made her first appearance in a York shirt since signing from Sheffield after featuring last season on dual-registration.
Valkyrie wasted a number of chances early in the first half, and the Leopards did have chances to go in front early on. Fullback Becky Greenfield very nearly got on the scoresheet, after Leigh were awarded back-to-back penalties, but York did just enough to prevent her from scoring.
York looked a largely frustrated side early on – enjoying ample field position but consistently squandering opportunities due to poor ball discipline.
They have never lacked strength or power – those qualities are in abundance – but in key moments, they often miss a clinical edge or a spark of inspiration to ignite them, and that was once again evident in the first 40.
That said, the Leopards should be applauded for some impressive goal-line defence to hold off the York attacks – and their hard work almost paid off when Alice Fisher and Hattie Dogus went agonisingly close, only to be stopped just a metre or so short of the line.
But Lindsay Anfield’s side came to life on the half-hour mark, as Izzy Bibby capitalised on two consecutive Leigh knock-ons to cross over in the right corner.
The introduction of Wood off the bench seemed to spark them into life – she carried with intent and tackled hard, injecting some much-needed go-forward for Valkyrie.
It was no coincidence that they grabbed a second, shortly after one of Wood’s big hits with Eboni Partington the scorer, again down the Leigh left edge.
After what were likely some choice words at half-time, York gradually ironed out the errors in their performance and finally took control, building an unassailable lead.
Enjoying more field position, Sinead Peach got the third, ten minutes after the interval. The hooker crashed under the posts having fancied her chances from dummy-half, which allowed Ellie Williamson to slot over an easy conversion, having missed her first two.
Valkyrie found their groove and it was Williamson, orchestrating, who spotted Savannah Andrade in a pocket of space and the forward bulldozed her way through the Leopards defence which made it 20-0 after the scrum-half’s conversion.
Eager to make her mark, Wood surged ahead to snatch a pass originally destined for a teammate, and sliced through the Leigh defence to score under the posts, Williamson again converting.
Leigh kept battling late on with Storm Cobain going close, but Valkyrie were there to, once again, close off the danger.
GAMESTAR: Agnes Wood made a name for herself, having come off the bench to kick York into gear.
GAMEBREAKER: Peach’s crash-over try from dummy-half probably knocked some belief out of the Leopards side who, until that point, were threatening a comeback.
MATCHFACTS
LEOPARDS
5 Becky Greenfield
2 Toryn Blackwood
3 Mackenzie Taylor
11 Storm Cobain
1 Hattie Dogus
6 Rhianna Burke
7 Leah Morris
16 Lucy Johnson
9 Kate Howard
10 Alice Fisher
20 Keli Morris
12 Charlotte Melvin
25 Emily Baggaley
Subs (all used)
14 Abi Gordon
15 Sam Brazier
31 Macy McDermott
17 Claire Collins
VALKYRIE
2 Eboni Partington
14 Izzy Bibby
16 Lisa Parker
21 Tara Moxon
5 Emma Kershaw
1 Georgie Dagger
7 Ellie Williamson
27 Sarah Menaa
9 Sinead Peach
25 Zoe Hornby
12 Savannah Andrade
28 Charlotte McDaid
10 Jas Bell
Subs (all used)
22 Agnes Wood
20 Evie Sexton
17 Izzy Brennan
– T’Leesha Fredrick-Maynard
Tries: Bibby (30), Partington (37), Peach (53), Andrade (58), A Wood (62)
Goals: Williamson 3/5
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-8; 0-14, 0-20, 0-26
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Leopards: Becky Greenfield; Valkyrie: Agnes Wood
Penalty count: 4-4
Half-time: 0-8
Referee: Oliver Salmon