Keighley thrash Wetherby to replace them at the top of the table

Counties One Yorkshire: Keighley 40 Wetherby 12
By Bill Marshall (T&A)
WHEN you are defending an unbeaten record stretching back over four years it is not surprising that you are tipped to win a home game against anyone in your division.
However, what turned heads at Rose Cottage was the margin of Keighley’s 40-12 victory over Counties One Yorkshire leaders Wetherby.
In truth, the visitors, who were missing the influential leadership trio of hooker Steve Hoather, No 8 George Gilbert and lock Harry Johnson, were rarely at the races and were honest enough to admit afterwards that even with that threesome they would have lost.
Keighley have now replaced Wetherby at the top of the table, going three points clear (44 against 41), while a very good day was made even better by second-placed West Leeds (39) losing 6-0 at Pocklington, Bradford Salem climbing to within a point of West Leeds with a walkover victory over Beverley, who could not raise a front row and then later forfeited the match.
Keighley’s head coach Danny McGee admitted: “The first 10 minutes were very important, and we said before the game that we needed to set our stall out in that period and begin well, and we did.
“We put the pressure on them and got the points, and that for me set the scene, but we know that Wetherby are always dangerous and have the players to turn a game and score points.
“Therefore, remaining focused and sharp and making sure that we didn’t switch off was really important even if we did put the points on.
“It was a really good professional performance. We kept our heads when they didn’t and stuck to our game-plan. It was feisty at times, but you would expect that of a top-of-the-table clash.
“It was one of our best performances of the season because of the occasion, the conditions, the team that we were playing, and we put in an 80-minute performance.”
As for place-kicker Jack Atkinson, McGee said: “Jack took up the mantle again from Alex Brown due to that tight hamstring and, after that early miss, Jack put some good kicks in in difficult conditions.
“But it was a 1-18 performance and we know that we can put players on who are as good as the ones who have started and they can change the game for the better.
“We scored some opportunist tries, but also scored some good team tries. However, this win will be pointless if we don’t win next week at Leodiensians.”

In difficult conditions of rain and wind, Wetherby had an awful opening 10 minutes, and also lost skipper Myles Oates with a dislocated shoulder after six minutes.
Keighley were definitely more up for the fight initially and went ahead with an Atkinson penalty, increasing the margin to 8-0 when Wetherby lost possession on their 10-metre line, with the ball being moved wide by centre Adam Horsfall to right winger Allan Ebbrell, who outpaced the cover to score and dot down beneath the posts.
Atkinson landed the conversion via the far upright to take the score to 10-0, although place kicks were more difficult than normal as the wind meant that Ebbrell had to hold the ball on the tee until Atkinson’s struck it.
Atkinson then dropped the ball in defence, although the error wasn’t costly as Wetherby were ruled offside and were then marched back 10 metres for dissent by referee Mark Smith (Central Yorkshire Society).
Wetherby’s first attack of note came from a break down the middle by lock Henry Acland, who held onto the ball when he should have passed, leading to a Keighley penalty and causing howls of anguish from the visiting bench at Acland’s poor decision.
A Brown 50-22 came to nothing, but Wetherby then had winger Jack Kaye sin-binned for punching in an off-the-ball melee, Atkinson then extending Keighley’s lead to 13-0 with a penalty from in front of the posts.
Atkinson then knocked on from a Brown pass and, despite good defence following the scrum, Wetherby scored via flanker Jake Little on 26 minutes, full back Charlie Yates missing the conversion after making the strange decision to take the ball a long way back and then seeing his effort into the wind die by the side of the posts.
There was an amusing sideline to the next meaningful Keighley attack as Horsfall inadvertently headed the ball after it slipped through his fingers, meaning play on.
Prop Sam Booker went close near the sticks a few phases later before Brown danced his way over to the left of the posts to make it 18-5 after 30 minutes, Atkinson adding an excellent conversion on the angle.
Flanker Ollie Snowden then scored Keighley’s third try after a poor pass in midfield was kicked ahead by the scorer, with the ball hitting the legs of a Wetherby defender, slowing it down nicely for Snowden to hack ahead and gather just before the line to dive over.
Atkinson missed the tough kick, but Keighley then had to survive some sustained Wetherby pressure, being held up over the Keighley line and then making nothing from a five-metre scrum due to a knock-on.
There was then a fracas behind play near the Keighley end before centre Alfie Seeley made a baffling decision to continue on a diagonal angle left when a straighter run could have resulted in him getting a try.
However, the ball was recycled and Horsfall put Snowden over on the right to make it 30-5 and give Keighley the four-try bonus point, Atkinson’s conversion attempt hitting the far upright and coming out.
The most contentious decision of the afternoon by referee Smith came when Seeley was ‘clothes lined’ in first-half injury time by replacement Frazer Land, the prop, who had only been on the pitch for just over a minute, being shown a yellow card rather than a red.
In the melee that followed, Keighley skipper and No 8 Tom Whyte was sin-binned for retaliation, meaning that both sides started the second half a man light.
Wetherby then lost winger Mo Beeson with a pulled hamstring in the 51st minute, meaning that No 8 James Ward had to play on the right wing.
Keighley replacement Jake Parkinson made an immediate impact with a strong run down the middle, but it ended with him suffering an ankle injury that led to him being carried off, with Parkinson being on the pitch slightly longer than Land’s initial effort.
Wetherby then seemed to have several differences of opinion with the referee that resulted in lengthy chats between players and whistler, Booker going over in the 65th minute after loitering on the wing.
Although Wetherby still had their moments, with hooker Evan Woodworth scoring in the 72nd minute and Yates converting off the far upright, the scoring was finished off three minutes later with Snowden’s hat-trick try after Brown had charged down a kick with his midriff.
By now the rain was icy and, despite another Brown 50-22, there were no more chances.

Wetherby report by Chairman Jonathan Hirst
There was everything to play for as the boys in red and white headed to Keighley for another top of the table clash. With 40mph winds whipping across the pitch and rain coming down in sheets it was going to be a challenging afternoon on more than one front.

And some last minute changes with Johnson suffering from food poising - dodgy muscles apparently, mean that James Ward was back in with Little moved to No 8.

Thankfully the Keighley committee warmly welcomed the visiting officials with free beer, offer of red wine, a beef roast dinner, and some sort of pie and custard for dessert, very nice. With heated gilets on we headed to the warmth of the stand.

Keighley kicked off with a near full strength side and from the start they had the measure of the pitch with their kicking game. The 4G pitch and wind played in to the home side’s hands as they pinned Wetherby in to the bottom corner and despite the visitors attempts to clear their lines or stuff it up their jumpers and hard-yard it down the pitch, the ball ended up back in the corner. The first box kick from Yates ended up almost behind him which caused general confusion to Greenwood who wasn’t used to being in front of play. Unable to resist the lure of the rugby ball regardless of his position on the pitch, he gathered it up and conceded the first penalty in front of the posts, which was missed.

Five minutes in and Wetherby were rocked by the injury to the Captain, Oates, who went in for a trade mark, fully committed tackle but this time came off 2nd best and left the pitch supporting a seeming dislocated shoulder. Off to the hospital to get it checked out! Yet more changes then as Goodall entered the fray, becoming the utility man of the club, able to play forwards or backs, left or right – obviously taught well by his childhood coach, Ed (Goodall too…).

Back to the rugby and early pressure from Keighley took its toll with another penalty in front of the posts that was duly dispatched. 3-0

Wetherby then enjoyed a little more possession moving the ball nicely out to the wing through the backs hands. Despite the dreadful conditions they still seemed able to look impressive until one forced pass too many gifted the ball to Keighley to run in their first try. 10-0 This wasn’t going to be a day for flair and miss-passes.

With the cool head of Oates off the pitch, Wetherby were suffering a little indiscipline and when the team started questioning the referee a penalty ensued and put Wetherby under further pressure. And then further remonstrations to the ref sent Wetherby back another 10. If this game wasn’t going to be hard enough already then Wetherby had made it a whole lot harder. Meanwhile in the stands, 2nd Team Coach Little was engaged in his own little match, more of the shouting variety, as he disagreed with the referee decisions on numerous occasions and with the home team supporters. Oh he can be an angry little fella sometimes!

Again back to the match and only 22 minutes the Keighley kicking was becoming predictable and punishing. Wetherby gave everything in defence with tackles flying in from Blakey and Acland but a penalty handed Keighley another 3 points. 13-0.

As can often be the case, Wetherby seemed to be growing in to the game despite only 14 men on the pitch and with a dogged attitude they managed to gain some decent field position in the Keighley 22. But with turnover ball for the home side it looked like Wetherby were going to be pinned back again but great pressure from Yates forced a knock on and Wetherby re-set in an attempt to get their first score. Movement and passing from one side of the pitch to the other demonstrated why Wetherby are at the top of the table contending and this concerted pressure produced the result, try to Wetherby scored by Little, 13-5.

At this point we must all be grateful for anyone refereeing but as a factual account of the proceedings at Keighley on the 9th December it should also be pointed out that a lot was missed in this match for both sides. In a bizarre 2 minutes the ref let 3 knock on’s go unpunished (for both sides I must add) and Keighley score from the resultant confusion, half of the players looking around wondering what was going on. Lesson here - play to the whistle. 20-5

Wetherby forwards were industrious without the usually ever present Hoather, Kitching Woodworth and Mason were grinding out some big carries but were equally matched by the Keighley forwards. And almost from the kick off, with Wetherby in seemingly uncontested possession, they somehow lost the ball in the middle of the park and Keighley hacked it down the pitch to score. 25-5

From the melee of this match there were some signs of the usual Wetherby style. Right in front of the stand there was some lovely interplay between Yates, Jack Kaye and Beeson and with Redman orchestrating the moves, Wetherby were making progress with a cross field move that defied the wind and rain, and the opposition. With a try seeming to be on the cards for Wetherby, Keighley again showed why they have been up at the top of Division one for the past three seasons and defended resolutely to force the knock on on the line which let them relieve pressure and through a couple of mistakes by the visitors, score at the other end, conversion missed. 30-5

Wetherby weren’t getting it all their own way in the scrums for once. Keighley were set up well and whilst the early momentum in the scrum was with the visitors, Keighley maintained their starting pack and were becoming more dominant. A problem that was to be worsened when Land was penalised for a high tackle which may have looked worse than it was, but from the stand looked more like a move from Hulk Hogan in WWE (size difference obvs…) and was given a yellow and 10 minute rest that he really didn’t need!

Half time finished 30-5.

Keighley kicked off the 2nd half and with the first line out to Wetherby not straight the possession went straight back to Keighley. Wetherby had clearly worked out that if they didn’t have the ball then all that was left was to tackle and everyone, to a man, put in their shift. Land returned to the fray and adopted his trademark position for jackling returning possession to Wetherby. The Kaye Bros (Christmas tree bookings being taken for 2024) combined well in the loose but were bundled out of touch and with the line out not quite firing as usual, Keighley were again on the attack.

With more player turmoil, Beeson headed off with a potential hamstring injury and Draper joined the melee as the last sub. In an attempt to take advantage of the wind on the Wetherby backs, Yates was testing the positional kick but couldn’t find his range in these conditions and on the 4G to keep the ball in play, a frustrating day all round. And what looked like a great kick from Yates ended up rolling out with a scrum back to Keighley on the Wetherby 22.

Wetherby were looking more composed in 2nd half with Harry Kaye taking on the backs senior leadership role. Wetherby built a bit of pressure but Keighley regain possession again – which was to be the story of the match. Despite the scoreline Wetherby aren't the sort of team to give up and some nice interplay from the backs led to the usual set up for the forwards whenever we get in to an oppositions 22. Keeping the ball in tight it was only a matter of time before one of the big lads was going to get this one over the line and Coach Woodworth was the man to do it. Converted by Yates 30-12

Stand-in Captain Reid was doing a great job keeping his views on the refereeing standard to himself in an attempt to keep all players on the pitch but even the ever-calm Mason nearly came a-cropper when he felt the shoulder of the opposition from row collide with the side of the head – the ref said nothing was doing and play on!

As the rain piled down Keighley’s consistency showed through and the team with the fewer errors, fewer injuries and better discipline came through with another try and conversion 35-12.

And in a final foray by the home side Wetherby succumbed to one more try.

End of game 40-12

Man of the match, Charlie Yates.