A GAME of nip and tuck, which saw the lead change five times, ended with a break away try by Wheatley Hills against the run of play giving a score line which did not reflect the closeness of the contest.
Skipton were always going to struggle against the very heavy Wheatley Hills pack and an early scrum against the head to the visitors saw them gain a penalty. They put the kick into the corner but Skipton stole the ball at the line-out and centre Anthony Chapman put full-back Luther Hall clear to slice through the Wheatley Hills defence with superb pace to score Skipton's opening try under the posts. Centre Jonny Tomes-Green added the extra points.
The Wheatley Hills pack countered, opting for the scrum from a penalty close in, and were over for an unconverted push-over try. Skipton came back again with a second Luther Hall try from pace, again converted by Tomes-Green and the sides turned round at 14-5 to Skipton.
Tom Creasy came into the second-row for Skipton after the break. An early penalty to Wheatley Hills for a Skipton high tackle was converted to claw back three points. Despite great defence by Skipton, the weight of the visitors pack began to tell and they gained a second converted try from a scrum close in.
Wheatley Hills were caught off-side in the next phase of play and Tomes-Green slotted the kick to re-take the lead. The visitors responded minutes later with a converted penalty of their own to put them ahead by a point. A high tackle gave Skipton a further penalty which Tomes-Green again converted and Skipton were ahead 20-18.
Wheatley Hills gained a third converted try but the game was not over, with Skipton launching wave after wave of attack, but a loose last pass gave Wheatley Hills an interception and break-away try on the stroke of full-time to give a final score of 30-20 in the visitors' favour.
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