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Leamington’s impressive winning start to the season suffered a setback at the home of League new boys, Manor Park, where they lost 22-17, although the “Moorefields Men” did manage to gain a valuable, losing bonus point, in the dying embers of the game.

Having soaked up an opening eight minute, continuous onslaught, Leamington succumbed to a converted try. From the restart Leamington battered the Manor Park barrier, recycling the ball several times, they found it impervious to their efforts.

Soon after, the home side increased their lead with two tries, one converted, to take a 17 nil lead on twenty minutes of play.

Leamington did hit back from this position, with a series of very inventive attacks, however, they were unable to breach, what seemed like water-tight resistance from Manor Park and went in at the break, without troubling the scoreboard.

Leamington prop forward, Louis Dunbavin, tries to break through the Manor Park defence. Pic: Ken Pinfold.

The home side had a fright in the opening moments of the second half, as Leamington gained immediate possession, worked the ball into midfield, where Patrick Northover set Centre, Rich McKowen away. The latter raced through to score under the posts and Josh Jones quickly added the conversion and put his side back in to contention.

With the slope and slight breeze in their favour now, the sunlight having retired behind the treeline, Leamington did test the home defence again, however, they were once again unable to make the breakthrough they needed and worse still, they fell to a pushover try from the big Manor Park pack.

The visitors were in no mood to give up their winning start to the season and continued to pressurize the Manor Park defence. Following a series of drives from the Leamington pack, the home side sinned, gave away a penalty try and thus gave Leamington a glimmer of hope of a continued revival.

However, time was now against the visitors and when confronted with a penalty in their favour, decided, quite rightly, to go for goal and at least secure a valuable bonus point; the least they deserved, against a side that will compete well against most teams in this league, on their home turf.

Leamington see their winning start ended