The engraver would be scratching a name onto the World-famous Challenge Cup which had not adorned it for the at least the last forty-two years as the Leigh Leopards took on Hull Kingston Rovers in the competition with one hundred and twenty-six years of history.
Leigh’s terrific recent form meant that they came into the game as narrow favourites over a Hull KR side who knew that this was their best chance of silverware in a season which has seen them hovering around the last of the Super League play-off places.
Wembley was filled with a lot of excited fans from both sides of the Pennines as two sides not used to the long journey south made a welcome change to the usual old guard who normally frequent this flagship occasion.
It took just three minutes for tempers to boil over, but referee Kendall put down an early marker and penalised the players running in. Ben Reynolds took the opportunity to get the scoreboard moving with a penalty from thirty metres.
An awful mistake from Gareth O’Brien, knocking on a long kick, but KR put the ball to ground on the second play the ball and a great opportunity went begging. There was a degree of panic rugby from both sides.
A lifting penalty on Tom Amone allowed Reynolds another penalty chance but this time the normally dependable kicker slipped the ball wide. KR returned the ball with interest and without Leigh being able to affect a tackle, Jez Litten took the final pass from Elliot Minchella to crash over the line from twenty metres out. Brad Schneider added the conversion for a 6-2 lead.
The video referee was asked to judge on a penalty try on twenty-one, in KT’s favour, but he turned it down after ruling that there had been no foul play.
On twenty-five the Leopards were back in front when the managers’ lad Lachlan Lam took the final pass after a great passing move to go over unopposed from twenty metres out. This time Reynolds added the conversion for an 8-6 lead.
A late tackle on Reynolds as he put in a kick downfield earned the Leopards another penalty and saw Minchella sin-binned and Reynolds kick the goal to double the lead to 10-6.
As the Robins tried to play out the ten minutes to half time a knock-on twenty from their own line gifted Leigh an opportunity to make the most of the advantage. After getting a repeat set a poor pass and a good tackle saw Leigh spill the ball as they lasted until the interval without conceding any more points in a game which was living up to the pre-match expectations.
A penalty on the half time hooter in KR’s favour allowed Schneider a kick for the posts from forty-one metres, the ball sailing between the uprights for 8-10 at the interval.
With both sides back to thirteen players, the first score of the second half was a Reynolds penalty to level the scores after a Leigh obstruction. The sides were back level at 10-10, the game developing into a classic.
With just under an hour played the sides were still inseparable as Josh Charnley went over on his back but was held up by the KR defence on the last tackle.
On sixty-five Tom Briscoe was on the end of a long cross-field passing move as he took the ball on the overlap to go in by the right corner flag to ground. Reynolds was on target from the touchline for a six-point lead.
With a minute remaining a kick from Mikey Lewis was knocked back into goal by Zak Hardaker, Matt Parcell first to react and ground the ball behind the sticks. Schneider added the conversion, and the sides were square again when the final hooter sounded for Golden Point. A classic deserved a classic finish.
KR were awarded a penalty for a ball steal on the first carry, but touch wasn’t found, and Leigh returned into the KR half. O’Brien had the first stab with the boot, but the ball drifted wide with the drop goal attempt.
Schneider was next to try a drop goal but was too far out and his kick bounced wide and dead. Leigh moved downfield and with eighty-four minutes on the clock Lachlan Lam kicked a skewed drop goal but it limped over the uprights for a sensational 17-16 win.
Match winner Lam won the Lance Todd Trophy as Man of the Match and led his side up the steps to lift the famous trophy.
Leigh defended their line well in the closing five minutes to defend their line and hold on for the six-point victory. It had been a long time between drinks, but after fifty-two barren years they finally got their third Challenge Cup win and a first piece for major silverware in a couple of generations. Hull KR had the heartache of yet another Challenge Cup Final loss, coming eight years after their humiliation by the Leeds Rhinos, but this time they played their part in a fabulous, classic game which entertained the crowd at Wembley and a nation on BBC1.
Leigh Leopards: O’Brien, Charnley, Chamberlain, Hardaker, Briscoe (T), Reynolds (4G), Lam (T, DG), Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, O’Donnell, Hughes, Asiata. Subs: Mellor, Holmes, Nakunuwai, Davis. 18th Man: Wardle.
Hull KR: Lewis, Ryan, Opacic, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Milnes, Schneider (4G), Kennedy, Litten (T), King, Batchelor, Linnett, Minchella (SB on 30). Subs: Parcell (T), Storton, Hadley, Luckley. 18th Man: Keinhorst.
Half-Time: 10-8.
Full-Time: 16-16. Golden Point: 17-16.
Score Progression: 2-0, 2-4, 2-6, 6-6, 8-6, (SB), 10-6, 10-8 : HT: 10-10, 14-10, 16-10, 16-14, 16-16 : FT: 17-16 :GP.
Lead Exchanges: Leigh - Hull KR – Square – Leigh – Square – Leigh – Square - Leigh.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
