Sat 24 Oct 2026
Old Crossleyans 1XV 30-12 West Leeds
Crocs Weather Storm Boelo to Beat West Leeds
Old Crossleyans made it three wins from three at Broomfield in Counties 1 Yorkshire with a 30–12 victory over West Leeds on Saturday. In difficult conditions during Storm Boelo, the Crocs produced an impressive first-half display to secure five league points and remain third in the table.
Playing into the wind, Crossleyans opened the scoring after five minutes when Finn Sutcliffe landed a penalty.
The first try came from a fine piece of execution. Sutcliffe delivered an excellent cross-field kick which Matthew Beswick caught cleanly before finishing in the corner. The conversion struck the post, leaving the Crocs 8–0 ahead.
Crossleyans continued to make ground through powerful carries from their forwards. After Sutcliffe kicked a penalty to the corner, David Teisina powered over following a strong forward drive. Sutcliffe converted to extend the lead to 15–0.
A well-judged spiral kick from Sutcliffe forced a West Leeds knock-on. From the resulting scrum, Joshua “Peanut” Walker broke and found Beswick in support, allowing the winger to finish in the corner for his second try. The conversion again struck the post.
West Leeds were then reduced to 14 men following a yellow card for persistent offending. Crossleyans capitalised, moving the ball quickly through the backs before James Johnson outpaced the defence to score in the corner. The Crocs went into half-time with a commanding 25–0 lead.
Beswick completed his hat-trick early in the second half. Another dominant scrum created the opportunity, and the ball was moved wide for the winger to finish in the corner, taking the score to 30–0.
West Leeds responded with a converted try after finding space out wide, then added a second late in the game. Crossleyans defended their advantage to secure a deserved victory.
Topo Busso was named man of the match after a powerful performance, while the scrum and driving play provided a strong platform throughout.
The five-point win, including a four-try bonus point, keeps Crossleyans third in the table. The result also demonstrated the Crocs’ ability to grind out a win in challenging conditions. Next Saturday, they travel to Bridlington for what is expected to be their longest away trip of the season.
( It seems there may be an error from the RFU regarding Yarnburys try bonus points as Crocs should be 2nd in the league)
