Last-gasp glory for gritty Leeds
Leeds Tykes snatched a dramatic 25-24 victory away at Birmingham Moseley, Ben Bailey’s final-minute effort sealing a remarkable turnaround after a tense, back-and-forth contest.
Moseley struck early, Elliot Creed finishing on the right wing from an inside pass, with ex-Tyke Tighe Maxwell-Whiteley adding the conversion. The hosts doubled their advantage through Ben Pogson, who powered over from a catch and drive to make it 12-0 and leave Leeds chasing.
Despite enjoying sustained spells of possession, the Tykes initially struggled to break through. Handling errors and missed tackles blunted Leeds’ progress at crucial moments. Their breakthrough came via a moment of invention – a chip across field dropped kindly for Charlie Venables, who grounded under pressure, with Eddie Crossland converting.
The second half opened scrappily before Crossland reduced the deficit further with a straightforward penalty. Momentum swung again, however, as repeated scrum infringements saw Will Dennis sent to the sin bin. Moseley capitalised, as Ollie Stedman, another former Tyke, picked up from the base to score, Maxwell-Whiteley again converting.
Leeds refused to fade. Lucas Walsh finished a sharp break to keep the West Yorkshire side in touch, but Pogson’s second of the afternoon edged Moseley back in front heading into the closing stages.
With time running out, Leeds built pressure deep in Moseley territory. After forcing errors and keeping possession through multiple phases, Bailey delivered the decisive blow, crossing in the far corner in the final minute. The conversion drifted wide, but it mattered little as Leeds held on to complete a thrilling comeback win. Crucially, the victory sees Leeds take a massive step towards retaining their league status.
Speaking after the match, Director of Rugby Pete Seabourne said: “What a game! We toughed it out, and I thought that Birmingham played really well. They put us under pressure at set-piece time. We dug in a bit of adversity with Kieran going off early. The boys dug in there. They looked a bit rusty after having two weeks off, that didn’t really help us. But we did some good stuff out there and to keep battling, to keep playing at the end, and getting that try, and then see the game out is a testament to the players and coaches and staff. Unless there’s some freak results in the next two weeks, that sorts out where we’re playing next season.”
Ben Bailey described how he felt after scoring the match-winning try: “Superb! It was mental to be the one to score, but all credit to the team, I only came on at the end and it’s good. I’m happy for everyone. Happy for the team. Obviously today was massive, but to finish like that. You know, everyone loves a one point game, just glad we were on the right side of it.”
On his recent time playing with the Tykes, he added: “I’m absolutely loving it. All the boys have been really nice and I’m happy to have the opportunity to be involved.”
Next match
Come along to The Sycamores for our final home match of the season. Sponsored by Maven Radd, we kick-off against Blackheath Rugby at 15:00.
There’s lots going on: you’ve still time to book pre-match hospitality
Thank you to Cantabria Labs, Fazenda and Hemp Well for their matchday raffle prizes.
Now’s the time – make your bid and secure your seat
Bid for a 2025-26 season, framed shirt signed by the current squad and round off the season at our End of Season Dinner – two highlights – still time to get involved