Wath Brow Hornets 33 Leigh East 20: A DEFEAT in the opening game was not the start to the new National Conference League season Leigh East were hoping for.

Newly promoted Division One champions Wath Brow were not the easiest of opponents to face first up.

East themselves helped pave the way for a home victory for the Hornets. Missed tackles, ill discipline - to say nothing of a struggle to complete their attacking sets - all served to keep the home side in possession.

Wath Brow centre Stables opened with scoring with a converted try but it looked promising for East when they took a 6-8 lead. New wingers Graham and Howard were both involved in a try for Lee Penkywicz, then John Woods won the race for the loose ball.

Two penalties put Hornets into position for a try from prop Deans and two more penalties were goaled by Johnstone to put the home side ahead at 14-8. Five minutes from the interval a misunderstanding in East's defence saw Stables go in again.

Within five minutes of the restart however East were back within two points of their hosts. Woods kicked a penalty and then tagged on the points to an individual try from Kilshaw to make the score 18-16. Instead of building on a far more controlled second half performance, lapses resulted in a try from hooker McCartney and a conversion, penalty and drop goal from Johnstone.

East were not quite done and scored probably the best try of the match by Penkywicz after a handling move involving Gunning, Taylor, Kilshaw and Woods. Stables had the last say though when he completed his hat-trick, Johnstone adding the goal.

East will be looking for a home win on Saturday when Thatto Heath are the visitors to Grasmere Street, kick off 2.30.