A Rhianne Boag try with two minutes to go saw Leigh snatch a thrilling 24-22 victory at Ballafletcher after Vagabonds Ladies had led for much of the game.

Vagas went into the Women’s NC2 North (South) league fixture having lost the away leg 73-36 and knowing that they could do better with home advantage.

After only five minutes of the contest, the Manx side did do better and opened the scoring from inside their own half. Lauren Ellison drifted outside her inside centre channel, the defence drifted with her and this created a gap for a straight runner.

Freya Crowe obligingly came off her wing and hit the gap, she punched clear of the final defender and raced 50 metres in to score. Sammie MacDonald added the conversion for a 7-0 lead to the hosts.

The lead didn’t last long though, and Leigh hit back with a double whammy in the 11th and 13th minutes.

Boag broke clear down Leigh’s right flank to score their opening try and Abi Kay converted. From the restart, Naoimh Gill-Ward was sent clear down the left wing and she fended off the Vagabonds cover to score under the posts.

Abi Kay was again on target with the boot and Leigh were suddenly seven points clear.

The next 20 minutes were scoreless as neither side really dominated. On the half-hour though, Vagas finally got a break.

Becky Dunne and Leona McGovern had found some holes in the Leigh defence and carried the ball deep inside the visitors’ half. This gave excellent field position and, from this, number eight Maylyn Campbell was able to smash her way over the line from close range.

On the cusp of half-time, Campbell bagged her second. Leona McGovern found her number eight lurking in the back line and lined her up with a one-on-one with Leigh full back Gill-Ward.

One huge hand-off later left Gill-Ward sprawling on the ground and Campbell showing a clean pair of heels as she ran in from 40 metres to give Vagas a 17-14 half-time lead.

Four minutes into the second half, the Manx side extended their lead. McGovern again made the break but this time her offload found Bliss Murtagh.

The Vagas full back knew she had the pace to finish and she angled her run slightly, just to make sure. Murtagh’s try gave Vagas an eight-point lead and perhaps a glimpse of victory.

Vagabonds were forced to switch to a full-on defensive mode as Leigh threw everything into attack. For a long period the defence held firm too with some huge hits.

Eventually though, the pressure built up and, with waves of forward driving inside the Vagas’ 22, replacement back row Charlotte Butler squeezed over the line from close range to reduce the Vagas lead to 22-19 with 14 minutes remaining.

For 12 of the 14, Vagas held their defensive line and repeatedly cleared the danger. But their luck expired two from the end when Gill-Ward and Boag combined on the right wing to send Boag clear for her second and match-winning score.

Results

Saturday, January 4:

Regional Two North West

Vale of Lune 36-10 Douglas

Counties Three ADM Lancs/Cheshire

Ashton Under Lyne P-P Vagabonds

Women’s NC2 North (South)

Vagabonds 22-24 Leigh

DAVE CHRISTIAN