By Paul Abraham
A magnificent squad performance brought the Yorkshire Mens League Shield back to West Leeds as Bramley Buffaloes defeated Illingworth 22-16 in a titanic struggle at the Batley Bulldogs Stadium.
The Buffaloes came back from a 0-6 deficit to lead 12-6 through tries from Omar Al-Rawi and the try of the match by Bryn Perrot – both converted by Lewis Gaunt – before Illingworth reduced the arrears to 12-10 just before half-time.
As both teams battled for supremacy in the second half it was the Buffaloes who extended their advantage to 18-10 as Jack Boot scored from close range and Gaunt added the conversion.
Illingworth went up a gear and put pressure on the Bramley defence to reduce the score to a nail-biting 18-16, but as seen throughout this season the Buffs’ fitness and defensive tenacity kept their line intact. Keiran Hudson then crossed for a try in the corner to put the black and ambers into a 22-16 lead.
With the sun beating down and Illingworth throwing everything at the Buffs the composure and defence was there for all to see as they held on for a magnificent victory.
This group of players have defied all the odds during this cup run as they played and defeated three teams from a higher division to take the trophy and create their own piece of Bramley rugby league history.
A comprehensive match report by Devon and Andy Johnson can be found here. Watch the match highlights here.
This week’s visitors
After last week’s cup winning exploits it’s back to the league campaign as Bramley take on York Acorn at the West Leeds Rugby Union ground this Saturday.
The Buffaloes secured a 28-10 victory at their opponents ground earlier in the season and will be confident of remaining at the top of the division. The team from North Yorkshire will come to West Leeds buoyant after winning their last outing 16-14 against Elland/Greetland.
Due to the Yorkshire Men’s League cup finals day no league games took place last week.
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