Challenge Cup: How amateurs Hunslet Club Parkside dumped League One London Skolars out of the cup

LEEDS’ TOP amateur team Hunslet Club Parkside are preparing for a Betfred Challenge Cup fourth-round tie at home to 1998 winners Sheffield Eagles after a stunning upset against League One London Skolars.

Parkside, of the National Conference Premier Division, went behind to a Jerome Yates touchdown which Phil Lyon converted after 13 minutes, but hit back to run in five unanswered tries.

Hunslet's Jordan Paga scored four tries in the Parksiders' 30-4 Challenge Cup win over amateurs Siddal. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe/JPIMedia.placeholder image
Hunslet's Jordan Paga scored four tries in the Parksiders' 30-4 Challenge Cup win over amateurs Siddal. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe/JPIMedia.

They were behind for only three minutes before Craig McShane crossed, Jamie Fields converting, to level the scores and a Jake Dearden try and Andy Hullock penalty gave Parkside a 12-6 lead.

Elliott Morgan went over with 15 minutes left, Fields adding the extras, to open a two-score gap and the visitors sealed a memorable win with tries in the final two minutes by Jack McShane - which Fields improved - and Omar Alrawi.

Lewis Sheridan, of Rochdale Hornets, is tackled by Castleford Lock Lane try scorer, Calum Butler. Picture: Will Palmer/SWpix.com.placeholder image
Lewis Sheridan, of Rochdale Hornets, is tackled by Castleford Lock Lane try scorer, Calum Butler. Picture: Will Palmer/SWpix.com.

Winger Jordan Paga grabbed four tries as the Hunslet eased to - on the face of it - a comfortable 30-4 victory over visitors Siddal.

But the contest was much harder-fought than the result would suggest and, in slightly different circumstances, the amateur outfit could have taken their Betfred League 1 opponents much closer - and might even have prevailed.

Siddal were hit by the dismissal, on 26 minutes, of Iain Davies for an alleged high tackle on Ethan O’Hanlon – a decision that the National Conference League giants will contest – but the visitors stayed in the frame until the closing stages, Hunslet posting three tries in the last six minutes to give the result a lop-sided look.

Castleford outfit Lock Lane could not repeat their second-round heroics against Oldham and were beaten 28-12 at home by another League One team, Rochdale Hornets.

Conversion maker Nathan Fozzard and try scorer Craig Duncan line up in defence for Castleford Lock Lane in their Challenge Cup encounter with Rochdale Hornets. Picture: Will Palmer/SWpix.com.placeholder image
Conversion maker Nathan Fozzard and try scorer Craig Duncan line up in defence for Castleford Lock Lane in their Challenge Cup encounter with Rochdale Hornets. Picture: Will Palmer/SWpix.com.

Try scorers for the Conference outfit - who had Chris Siddons and Morgan Punchard sin-binned and Ben Mawson sent-off late on in proceedings - were Craig Duncan and Calum Butler, Nathan Fozzard converting both.

Ben Killen, Ryan Forshaw, Sean Penkywicz and Lewis Sheridan crossed for Hornets, Sheridan kicking five goals and Penkywicz one.

Celebrating 135 years of telling Leeds' stories
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice