LEICESTER Lions had to be patient as they broke down a resilient Wharfedale for a resounding win.
Lions had the upper hand in the first half, but often lost their shape and a stubborn Dale kept in touch with their hosts, briefly leading at the start of the second period.
However, Lions ran in four second-half tries as they overpowered their Yorksh ireopponents.
Sam Benjamin opened the scoring for Lions and Eliot Bale added the extras.
Dan Stockdale replied for Dale with Tom Barrett levelling the score from the tee.
A Bale penalty restored the home side’s lead as the teams went into the interval at 10-7.
Josh Burridge put Dale briefly into the lead at the start of the second half with an unconverted try, which came from a catch and drive from Lions’ 22.
Both sides had suffered a yellow card and from then on a succession of sin bins meant that Dale found it difficult to compete, sometimes with only 13 men on the field.
Leicester capitalised on their numerical advantage – Devon Constant grabbed two tries, Benjamin got his second and Marco Dallavalle also crossed.
And with Bale in excellent kicking form, the Lions secured an emphatic victory.
TEAMS
LEICESTER: Smith, Benjamin, Hamilton, Boden, Constant, Bale, McFedries, Spokes, Mahoney, Hills, Capscott, Tuckey, Rudkin, Murdoch, Dallavalle. Replacements: Taylor, Fio, Hartwell, Phillips, Grayson. W’DALE: Bullough, Davidson R, Davidson T, Guy, Jordan, Barrett, Woodhead, Altham, Stockdale, Afejevs, Heddley, Rhodes, Baldwin, Whyte, Burridge.
Replacements: Howard, Poole, Larkin, Kitching, Tincknell.
REFEREE: Jamie Leahy
ATTENDANCE: 117
Star man
John Murdoch – Leicester Lions
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