Rugby League: Schofield leads the Leeds revival

Warrington. . . .24

Leeds. . . . . . 31

LEEDS' mid-season revival which had brought them three wins in a row at Headingley went on the road successfully last night as they held on to beat a Warrington side that never quite recovered from their early generosity, writes Dave Hadfield.

Warrington, who hardly missed a tackle at Wigan on Tuesday, set off in very different vein. Only three minutes had gone when Craig Innes took Garry Schofield's pass and went through a weak challenge to score. Warrington threw the ball around fluently in response and they could have had two tries on the board if Kelly Shelford had not been held on the line and Mark Forster forced into touch.

Leeds soon showed them the art of finishing, James Lowes keeping the ball alive and Inness racing away to put Schofield in.

Allan Bateman knocked on for Warrington with an overlap outside him, but the moment that summed up the way the game was running away from them came when Forster was within a fingertip of intercepted Andy Gregory's long pass. A try would have been a formality for a player of Forster's pace, but instead Leeds retrieved the ball through Jim Fallon and Ellery Hanley sold a dummy to score under the posts and give Simon Irving his first and Leeds an 18-0 lead.

Warrington at last got something to show for a lot of possession when Bob Jackson barged over from Duane Mann's pass. On half-time, Kevin Ellis had the vision to kick ahead on the first tackle, Bateman won the race to collect and Chris Rudd scored in the corner.

Warrington felt doubly aggrieved about the try that put Leeds back firmly in control. They thought that Rudd had been dragged into touch illegally, that Lowes had knocked on and that Steve Molloy had been turned on to his back over the try-line.

The referee, David Atkin, disagreed on all three counts and Irving again added the goal. Warrington struck back with a well- worked try by Bateman, improved by Rudd, but an interception from Ellis then gave Schofield a gift second try. Schofield added the goal.

Paul Cullen kept the end-to-end rhythm of the game going with a Warrington try nine minutes from time. They even got to within six points of Leeds when Neil Harmon was stopped on the line but Mann toed ahead to score.

Warrington: Penny; Rudd, Bateman, Thorniley (Darbyshire, 40), Forster; Ellis, Mackey, Harmon, Mann, Tees (Jackson, 22; Tees, 65), Cullen, Sanderson, Shelford.

Leeds: Tait; Fallon (Dixon, 72), Iro, Innes, Irving; Schofield, Gregory, Molloy, Lowes, O'Neill, Dixon (Anderson, 40), Mercer, Hanley. Substitute not used: Stephens.

Referee: D Atkin (Hull).