Leicester Lions earned victory on a cold, wet, miserable afternoon; a just reward for a determined display in which they took their opportunities and also prevented the league leaders from registering a point for the first time in a year.
It may have been the Lions best performance of the season, it was certainly more than enough against a muted Ionians, who failed to come to terms with the freezing rain and the enthusiasm of their hosts.
With the benefit of the elements Lions edged the early exchanges. Ionians provided only an occasional threat on the break, Toni Kuku tested the home defence with some elusive running. Leicester showed better handling and control to pin Ionians in their own half and as they became more entrenched errors crept in. An element of panic led to a poor clearance kick which fell to grateful full - back Alex Wilcockson. With players crowded to his left he set off on an arcing run towards the open acres of the far touch and outpaced the Ionians cover to race in for the opening try. The conversion attempt came back off the posts to keep the score at 5- 0.
Ionians were able to counter, through breaks from Tom Stephenson and Lewis Minikin, to take the visitors close to the Lions line but good defensive work gave the hosts possession and they were able to clear the danger.
Lions worked their way steadfastly back into the visitor’s half and Wilcockson doubled the score, and his personal tally, with another incisive intervention. He latched on to a neat pass to cut through the midfield and cross close to the posts. Harry Key tagged on the goal to extend the lead to 12 – 0, the score-line stood to the break.
Ionians needed to make an impact in the opening minutes of the second half; though they were able to establish good field position they offered little credible threat and Lions coped as well with the incursion as they did with the weather.
Having dealt with all Ionians had to offer, Lions took play to the other end of the field and the hosts managed what Ionians had failed to achieve and drove a line-out catch over for a try for front-rower, Curtis Weaver. Another miss from Key kept the score to 17 – 0, with 20 minutes remaining.
They were 20 fairly uneventful minutes; both sides increasingly struggled to cope with the conditions, the numbing cold affecting handling and draining the players interest in affairs. Rarely has the final whistle been so welcomed by players and supporters alike. After acknowledging applause for the deserved victory the Lions players led a hasty retreat the warmth of the clubhouse.