Hull KR 16 Leigh Leopards 17: golden point agony for Robins in Challenge Cup final

The gap this time was just one point, that coming via the boot of Leigh Leopards scrum-half Lachlan Lam three minutes into sudden-death extra-time.

It was the cruellest possible way for Hull KR to suffer their seventh defeat in eight finals, the never-say-die Robins having equalised in the final seconds of the 80.

It seemed likely the final would be decided either by Hull KR’s Brad Schneider who had kicked a golden-point winner in two of his three previous games for the club; or Gareth O’Brien whose famous one-pointer for Salford in the 2016 Million Pound match sent Rovers into the Championship.

Both those players saw a kick fail to find the target before Lam became the match winner with the most important goal of his career.

It was probably a fair result overall, but there could have been no real complaints had the Robins snatched it.

Far from a classic in terms of skill, it was an incredibly tense clash between two well-matched sides, with clear try-scoring opportunities few and far between.

Lam also scored the first of Leigh’s two tries and went away with the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match, having been the pre-game favourite.

Their other touchdown went to Tom Briscoe, extending his record haul at Wembley to eight tries, six of them against Rovers.

Schneider was at the heart of things for the Robins, who could be proud of their effort across the park, but - until the final moments of the 80 - didn’t manage to apply sustained pressure or create enough clear-cut chances.

It always seemed likely to be that sort of game and the first score, after just four minutes, came through a penalty goal kicked by Ben Reynolds.

They were two poor points for the Robins to give away, considering they were in possession 20 metres out in front of their own posts.

Elliot Minchella, among others, took exception to a low tackle by Leigh loose-forward John Asiata on George King and the penalty was awarded for running in.

The Leopards’ tactics were clearly to take points any way they could. Eight minutes later Reynolds missed with his second penalty attempt and rather than going 4-0 behind, the Robins were four ahead within moments.

The kick didn’t go dead, Ryan Hall’s strong return got them on the front foot and then Minchella did well to gain ground and slip out a pass to Jez Litten who dashed between the posts to make Schneider’s conversion a formality.

Schneider also scored Rovers’next points, but not until after the half-time hooter, to cut the deficit to 10-8. Leigh, in the meantime, had scored a lovely try through Lam. He received the ball from Asiata and supplied Kai O’Donnell, who put a step on before returning the pass to the scrum-half who touched down between the posts.

Reynolds added the goal to nudge Leigh in front for the second time, on 25 minutes and the stand-off collected two more points with a penalty goal soon afterwards, after he was tackled late following a kick.

That incident saw Minchella become the first player since Shane Rigon - of Bradford Bulls against St Helens 22 years earlier - to be sin-binned in the Challenge Cup final.

In the final seconds of the half, Jack Hughes was penalised for an off-the-ball tackle on Rowan Milnes and Schneider’s kick sent Rovers in 10-8 adrift.

That margin was eradicated five minutes into the second period through another Schneider penalty goal, this time after Minchella had been hit late by Edwin Ipape.

Mikey Lewis got under Josh Charnley to prevent Leigh’s powerful winger getting the ball down over the Robins’ line just before the hour mark in what was a rare chance as the tension levels rose.

But the full-back, who’d had a good game, came up with an error 15 minutes from time which gave Leigh field position for their second try.

By Briscoe’s Wembley standards, it was a routine touchdown, the winger getting on the end of nice handling by Reynolds, Lam and Gareth O’Brien who provided the final pass.

That spine of stand-off, scrum-half and full-back were a major influence for Leigh and Reynolds’ touchline goal put a converted try between the sides.

Lewis crafted two opportunities after that. First, he made a break and kicked ahead before colliding with O’Brien. The ball was scrambled dead and referee Chris Kendall signalled a drop out, ignoring frantic pleas from the red and whites for a penalty.

At the end of the subsequent set Lewis’s kick was taken by Schneider, but he was pulled down by Reynolds just short of the line.

That seemed to have ended the Robins’ hopes, but there was another twist to come when, with 75 seconds left, Schneider’s kick rebounded into Leigh’s in-goal and Matt Parcell touched down.

Kendall indicated a try and his video assistant Liam Moore took an age - understandable in the circumstances - before giving the green light, the ball having come off Zak Hardaker rather than Kane Linnett. Schneider avoided a Don Fox moment to level the scores with a conversion which would have been straightforward at any other time.

Hull KR: Lewis, Ryan, Opacic, Kenny-Dowall, R Hall, Milnes, Schneider, Kennedy, Litten, King, Batchelor, Linnett, Minchella. Subs Parcell, Storton, Hadley, Luckley.

Leigh Leopards: O’Brien, Briscoe, Chamberlain, Hardaker, Chanley, Reynolds, Lam, Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, O’Donnell, Hughes, Asiata. Subs Nakubuwai, Davis, Holmes, Mellor.

Referee: Chris Kendall (Huddersfield).