WEST Park Leeds hosted Skipton for the opening game of the season in the late summer sunshine at The Sycamores.

Early nerves and a missed pass gave West Park a converted try in the first minute of the game and Skipton were on the back foot. Callum Patrick, this week starting on the wing, clawed three points back with a penalty for a high tackle to help steady the visitors into the game.

Some incursions down the slope by the heavy West Park pack were countered by Skipton but the pressure eventually saw them over for a second converted try.

Skipton were far from out of the game, and a superb slip pass from the line-out and a jinking run saw No. 8 Joe Hayes score a brilliant individual try for the visitors. Patrick added the extra points.

A superb clearance kick by hooker Charlie Brown after Skipton stole a line-out saw the visitors down field, where they stole the ball at the line-out again. A high tackle mid-field resulted in a yellow card for West Park and, with tempers running high, a fracas erupted at the next break-down with Skipton outside centre Johnny Tomes-Green receiving a red card and West Park picking up a second yellow. The sides then turned round at 14-10 to West Park.

Michael Tam replaced Shaun Barraclough at scrum-half for Skipton after the break. West Park stretched their lead from an early penalty for a tackle above the horizontal. A superb break by second-row Brad Nicholson saw him illegally brought down and West Park received their third yellow card of the day. Skipton put together some good phases of play, with full-back Luther Hall making some incisive runs, but the weight of the West park pack began to tell. A goal line drop-out was put straight into touch by Skipton and West Park were over for their third converted try from the resulting 5 metre scrum. A fourth unconverted try followed and Westpark were clear by 29-10.

Skipton would not give up and quick hands from the re-start saw skipper Josh Nkwo, at stand-off, over for their second try. Luther Hall drop-kicked the conversion but time had run out, with the final score at 29-17 in West Park's favour.