The Leeds Carnegie A team lost a high scoring game at Northampton on Monday night despite scoring three tries, they lost out 36-23 to the home side.
Northampton, who are top of their Guinness A League pool, scored six tries.
Leeds could have made a fantastic start to the game, when Scott Freer latched onto a short kick off and raced clear, with support from Tom Denton and Peter Wackett, but the Northampton defence reacted quickly and was able to get back to stop all three from making the most of the chance.
However, Carnegie did manage to take the lead after five minutes when Jason Strange marked his return to fitness with a penalty.
The home side hit back straight from the re-start to cross for the first try of the game through Paul Diggin. Matt Lord's sprinting and Ben Lewitt's neat work at a ruck base set up the score and Everitt's touchline conversion rounded it off nicely.
Strange added three more points to his tally three minutes later and Northampton scored four minutes after that. But while Leeds were collecting penalties the hosts were scoring tries and Everitt's effort took them further clear. Everitt had Nils Mordt's skill with boot and hand to thank, but the fly half still had plenty of work to do to power over. He also added the extras for a 14-6 lead.
For all the ambition of both teams it took 10 minutes for there to be another score. This too was a home try and it was one to savour. Everitt had looked cornered by the Carnegie rushing defence, but with a swivel and a turn he found first space and then Will Harries, who had come off his wing at full pace. It took 30 metres for him to be caught, but there was no one to stop the supporting John Brake, who raced in to score in the corner.
This time Everitt's conversion attempt from wide out fell just short.
But it was only a brief escape for the visitors, who quickly found themselves a further five points down when Diggin squeezed in at the right corner for his second try. The bonus point had been won but the match hadn't and Northampton had to be on top form defensively to hold Leeds out just past the half-hour. Luther Burrell was the first to be held out and Brake and Greenhalgh were alert to prevent Jon Goodridge from grounding his own chip ahead. James Twomey also posed a threat late on with a sharp break. Dexterity at the breakdown won the battle on all three occasions, but there was a palpable feeling of relief when Everitt sent a clearance to the sidelines to end the half.
The second half began with Leeds camped out in the home 22. Having had a period of pressure on the home line, Carnegie were left frustrated as they battered away to no avail and ironically it took a mistake from Northampton on a counter attack to give them a way through.
Soane Tonga'uiha charged forward but with Lewitt in support the next pass found a Leeds shirt. Adam Greendale slid through a grubber that Wackett collected to score. Greendale also added the conversion and Leeds had the beginnings of a comeback.
This germ of an idea gained extra life when Freer took advantage of slack defending at the front of a lineout to cross unopposed. Although Greendale missed the conversion Leeds were back to within a converted try with just over a quarter of the match to go.
The hosts needed the bounce of the ball to bring the game back under control. They got it in the 63rd minute when an Everitt kick ahead sat up nicely. Mayor and Diggin forced a five-metre scrum and after the forwards had twice come close the ball was spun for Mayor to score between the sticks. Everitt's conversion took the lead to 31-18 and with 11 minutes to go.
The final home try was scored by young debutant Charlie Sadler however Carnegie had the last word with a Twomey try to cap a fine performance from the centre.
Teams:
Northampton - Diggin (Sadler 69mins); Greenhalgh, Mayor, Mordt, Harries; Everitt (Elliott 73mins), Brake; Tonga'uiha (Vickers 69mins), Gray, Broster, Lord, Cannon (capt), Lewitt, Neale, Milligan.
Leeds Carnegie - Goodridge; O Denton, Burrell (Twomey 35mins), Blackett (Black 53mins), Wackett; Strange (Greendale 21mins), White; Steele (Swainston 40mins), Freer (Warner 69mins), Hopcroft, Craig (Boyd 63mins), T Denton, Quinn (Beck 63mins), Drabble, Rowan.
Referee: Paul Knowles