The Buffaloes second team had their first game of the season, but in unfamiliar surroundings, playing at West Leeds Rugby League as the Pitch at West Leeds Old Boys is undergoing maintenance.
The game started brightly for the home side. In the third minute, Prop, Elliot Carter, strode through the defenders and fed the ball inside to the Supporting Kieran McFarlane, who crossed the line for the opening points of the day, with Tom Jenkins adding the conversion – giving the Buffaloes the lead 6-0.
Three minutes later, the visitors hit back with a try for Fullback Jack Lumb; Louis Inman added the conversion levelling the scores at 6.
In the eighth minute, Jack Boot collected the ball at Dummy half and dived between the defenders for the Buffaloes second try; Jenkins was again on target with the conversion, allowing the Buffaloes to regain the lead, 12-6.
Over the next 30 minutes of the first half, the visitors took control of the game, adding five tries in the eleventh, fifteenth, twenty-third, twenty-eighth and thirty-sixth minutes, with Inman adding all five conversions, giving them the lead 12-36.
On the stroke of halftime, following the last King Cross Park try, they fluffed the kick return, and the home side had some pressure again, and Prop Carter barged his way over the line for the home side’s third try of the game, Jenkins again was on target with the boot, reducing the lead to 18-36.
The Buffaloes started the second half brightly again; this time, Billy Butterworth went on one of his now trademark runs, knocking defenders off, before passing to the supporting McFarlane, who scored his second of the game, and also added the conversion, narrowing the lead to 24-36.
The remainder of the game became a battle of attrition, with both teams fighting for field position. However, Kings Cross Park added another three tries in the second half, in the 62nd minute for Harrison Ward, in the 74th minute and 76th minute for prop Brandon Harder. with Inman adding two of the three conversions, giving the visitors the win 24-52.
The second team are in action again next weekend at Birkenshaw Blue Dogs.
Buffaloes: 1) Jonah Stansfield, 2) Deisel Whalley, 3) Robert Brown, 4) William Murray, 5) Ryan Jones, 6) Liam Barnsley, 7) Kieran McFarlane, 8) Elliot Carter, 9) Jack Boot, 10) Billy Butterworth, 11) Charlie Raistrick, 12) Jordan Hicken, 13) Thomas Jenkins, Subs (All Used); 14) Liam Lether, 15) Henry Sedgwick, 17) Callum Pratt
Tries; McFarlane (3, 45), Boot (8), Carter (39)
Goals; Jenkins x 3, McFarlane x 1
King Cross Park: 1) Jack Lumb, 2) Liam Calvert, 3) Joshua Brown, 4) Jake Parkinson, 5) Harrison Ward, 6) William Davidson, 7) Oliver Oldroyd, 8) Brandon Harder, 9) Noah Tyson, 10) David Smith, 11) Benjamin Mellor, 12) Jordan Owens, 13) Louis Inman, Subs (all used); 14) Bradley Hodgson, 15) Aaron Horner, 16) Finlay O’Neill, 17) Callum Dunne.
Tries; Lumb (6, 15), Ward (74), Harder (76)
Goals; Inman x 8