Nottingham 20 Leeds Carnegie 27: Unhappy Lowes struggles to be impressed by Leeds’s latest win

Having led 20-3 at half-time, Leeds then somehow contrived to lose the second period 17-7, and boss Lowes said “we needed the win after the result against Bristol last week and we got that and we’ll sort the rest out this week in training.

“We try to pride ourselves on our performances and the guys know that they under-performed so it takes a little bit of the shine off the win. But we did what we needed to do.

“We are a better side than what we showed today and the team know that as well, but we just need to be a bit more ruthless and take our chances.”

In a cagey opening to the game, Glyn Hughes and Matthew Jarvis exchanged penalties to open the scoring.

With both sides struggling to build any momentum, the visitors won a penalty at the scrum after Nottingham were pinged for standing up, but former Northampton academy product Hughes could not take advantage as he pulled his attempt wide.

But Leeds did not have to wait much longer for their next points. After a fast break from Hughes, his pass out wide found David Doherty, who won a foot-race to the line to score his 10th league try of the season, with his provider on hand to convert.

Nottingham were then adjudged to have been held up over the line by referee Martin Fox and, from one of the resulting five-metre scrums, dual-registered Leicester Tigers centre Javiah Pohe was spectacularly denied a try in the corner following a last ditch tackle by Oli Goss.

The hosts continued to apply pressure though and having won penalties for not rolling away and collapsing the scrum, Jarvis turned down the chance to kick the three points, instead opting to find touch. On both occasions Leeds’s defence held firm.

Smart play from Bristol-bound scrum-half Craig Hampson released Hughes, who off-loaded to Goss, who bounced off a couple of tackles to score the second try of the afternoon.

Leeds extended their lead to beyond two converted tries on the stroke of half-time when Hughes kicked a 30-metre penalty after Nottingham were penalised for a high tackle.

Carnegie almost had their third try of the match when Ryan Hough struggled to deal with a high bouncing ball from a grubber kick by Goss but, unfortunately for the visitors, Chris Walker’s off-load was too quick for Jacob Rowan and the ball ended up in touch.

The impressive former Doncaster Knights man Goss found space in the Nottingham defence and his pass allowed Alex Lozowski to cross over, only for the referee Fox to call play back for a forward pass.

After another last-ditch tackle at one end of the field had denied Martin Haag’s men the first points of the second period, Hughes kicked for the corner from a penalty and having been held up inches from the line after a couple of phases, replacement Rob Vickerman spun out of a tackle well to squeeze over under the posts.

But back came the home side and after a series of quick off-loads they worked the ball out wide for Hough to score their first try, although Jarvis dragged his conversion attempt wide.

Nottingham, something of a bogey team for Leeds in recent seasons, continued to press forward and they got further reward when Joe Munro found Henry Purdy, who barged over for his side’s second try in the space of three minutes.

Poor handling from replacement James Doherty then meant Carnegie missed the chance to secure their try-scoring bonus point.

Rupert Cooper’s pass found nobody and, if the former Wharfedale scrum-half had been able to collect the ball cleanly, his namesake David would have had a clear run to the line.

But the home side would not give up and, from a quick penalty tap, replacement Harry Thacker rode a couple of tackles to release Pohe for a try converted by Jarvis to earn the Meadow Lane side a losing bonus-point.

Nottingham: Purdy, Catchpole, Munro, Pohe, Hough, Jarvis, Romans (Lee-Everton 62), Ma’afu (Bower 56), Walker (Vickers 65), Holford (Williams 56), Keogh (Thacker 4-7, 40), Montague (c), Freeman, Cooper, Shaw.

Leeds Carnegie: Lozowski, Goss, Clarke (Williams 74), Burdon (Vickerman 49), D.Doherty, Hughes, Hampson (J.Doherty 65), Beech (Imiolek 65), Nilsen (Graham 61), Tussac (Currie 61), Casson (Doyle 54), Myerscough, Rowan (c), Walker, Sisi.

Referee: Martin Fox (RFU).