Tigers leave it late at Leeds

Leicester stole victory in the last two minutes of normal time against Leeds.

Leeds 20-28 Leicester

Guinness Premiership, Headingley, Sunday September 25, KO 2.30pm

Leicester survived an almighty scare at Headingley to overcome a gutsy Leeds side 28-20.

The Tigers made 11 personnel changes as Pat Howard looked to rest some of his key players against a Leeds team that is still yet to win this season.

However, tries from Andre Snyman and Chris Murphy put the home side in the ascendancy, before Leicester stole the points with two minutes of normal time remaining.

One of the four players to remain from Leicester's last outing, Leon Lloyd, gave his team the perfect start - outpacing Tom Biggs to the line after a clever one-handed pass from Geordan Murphy.

However, one of the many new introductions to the Tigers line-up, Ross Broadfoot, welcomed his opponents back into the match by missing the conversion.

It was an invitation that Leeds gratefully accepted and Roland de Marigny instantly broke towards the line.

The ball found its way out to Iain Balshaw, and the England international threw a superb pass to Snyman who muscled past Austin Healey to score.

Young talent Jordan Crane then came close to snatching an opportunist score, before Leicester grabbed a deserved 12-7 lead close to half time, thanks to a powerful surge from Matt Cornwell.

If the first period opened up nicely for the Tigers, the second half began disastrously.

Captain Louis Deacon harshly saw yellow just two minutes in, after his clash with Iain Balshaw appeared to lack intent.

Leeds quickly jumped at the opportunity to make their numerical superiority pay, with Murphy bundling over after great work by the Tykes forwards.

Broadfoot's boot continued to kept the pressure on the home side however, and as the clock ticked down it appeared inevitable that the two-point deficit would be overturned in Leicester's favour.

Indeed it was the stand off who converted a late penalty to nudge his side ahead by a solitary point, before Deacon made amends for his earlier indiscipline to make the game safe with a late try.

Leeds: (7) 20
Tries: Snyman, Murphy
Cons: De Marigny 2
Pens: De Marigny 2

Leicester: (12) 28
Tries: Lloyd, Cornwell, L. Deacon
Cons: Broadfoot 2
Pens: Broadfoot 3