At the hour mark (and wearing the pink Breast Cancer charity shirts to mark the presentatiion of a cheque for £2,677) we were just four points behind promotion chasing Moortown.

Unfortunately, as we tired we had no answer as the visitor’s powerful backs ran in three tries to clinch the game and retain third place in North One East.

At the other end of the table we are now building for the future and featured two young wingers making their home debuts. Both Jack Harrison and Owen Westhorp looked the part in a tough baptism with Westhorp bagging the final try of the afternoon.

However,r it was the Leeds side who began proceedings. They opted to kick a penalty to the corner on the left followed by slick passing along the line which saw right winger Mark Shire in acres of space. Gary Smith adding a fine conversion from out wide.

Undaunted wet came back with skipper Ryan Painter bursting through on the left. His kick ahead went into touch, but not for the first time Man of the Match  Jake Linighan stole line-out ball to set up pressure on the visitor’s line.

Painter moved the ball quickly left with Zac Southern popping a great inside ball to allow Will Hilditch to go through a gap and score with Southern’s conversion levelling the scores.

We continued to press and had the better of the territory, but it was Moortown who broke the deadlock on the half hour with Luckas Sableman-Blue crashing over after Shires had broken through in midfield.

Smith’s conversion gave his side a 14-7 lead at the break and with the breeze behind us we quickly reduced the arrears – Hilditch again finding a gap from close range to go over.

Southern returned from treatment to a nasty gash on his head to take the conversion but understandably missed.

The two-point margin stung Moortown into action and they were rewarded with a series of mauls close to the West line while playing a penalty advantage - fly half Eddie Crossland eventually going over from close range.

Smith’s missed conversion meant there was just one score between the sides and that gap narrowed with a West penalty just before the hour.

However, any hopes that the home crowd had of another giant killing were quickly dispelled.

Moortown got their bonus point try through flanker Xav Martin and, as our eads went down, Shires got his second of the afternoon quickly followed another for Sableman-Blue.

The final consolation did go to West with a late rally after Moortown’s second row Alfie Hart Fisher was sin-binned for pulling Jake Linighan down in the line-out.

The pressure eventually told with Southern coming into the line to send Westhorp in at the corner to end the scoring.

West: Zac Southern, Jack Harrison, Will Hilditch, Lewis Scott, Owen Westhorp, Ollie Connolly, Ryan Painter, Liam Pennick, Andrew Rollins, Danny Cookland, Jake Linighan, James Borthwick, Adam Brown, Ben Armstrong, Carl Miller.
Replacements (all used): Adam Coates, Joe Raftery, Aidan Jackson-Smith.
Tries: Hilditch (2), Westhorp.
Cons: Southern (1)).
Pens: Southern (1).

Moortown: Cameron Farish, Mark Shires, Luckas Sableman-Blue, Gary Smithy, Steve Waterhouse, Eddie Crossland, Jesse-James Tipene, Jack Hughes, David Whittle, Tommy Pritchard, Alex Wilcox, Sam Peter, Alfie Hart-Fisher, Xav Martin, Sheridan Farley.
Replacements (all used): Tom Nixon, Tyler Tempest, Dylan Wepener.
Tries: Shires (2), Sableman-Bluse (2), Martin, Crossland.
Cons: Smith (5).
Yellow: Hart-Fisher.

Referee: Mark Hiney (Manchester).