Pilkington Recs ended the 2026 season with defeat at home to Stanningley.

Pilks made five changes to the side that lost against Oldham St Annes last time out. Ben O’Connell, Koby Prescott, George Hannan, Nathan Livesey and Ewan Gilford all came out of the side. Replacing them were Kaelen Gardner, Elliot Martin, Ian Mather, Chris Stevenson and Luke Riley.

Things didn't get off to the best start, as Pilks fell behind on 14 minutes.

They weren't behind for long though. Tom Connick got free and managed to put Scott Simmons over for the try. He then converted to level the scores.

For the opening quarter, it was a real battle. Both sides were competing really hard to gain the upper hand.

But soon after, Stanningley gained the upper hand. Just three minutes after Pilks got level, they went back in front, one of three tries they got before the break.

The visitors increased that lead within a minute of the restart, and then Pilks found themselves a man down.

Tyler Duberry went for a high kick and challenged for the ball with the Stanningley defender. He made contact with him and he landed awkwardly, sparking a flashpoint between the two teams. Once things had calmed down, Duberry was sent to the sin bin.

Whilst Pilks were a man down, Stanningley added two more tries.

After that, the visitors continued their dominance, running in four more tries to complete the win.

After the game, Pilks paid tribute to Jon Key and Jamie Smith, who both played for the club for the final time.