Keighley vs North Ribblesdale

Match Report by: Andrew Heys, U13s Coach

After starting our season off with a highly anticipated clash with Ilkley, we could take many positives into the game this Sunday against the well organised side of North Ribblesdale (North Ribb). We just scraped together a team of 16, but unfortunately North Ribb could only muster a team of 11 players so we decided to drop the flanker and lend North Ribb two players and play 13 aside.

It started with North Ribb kicking off towards Keighley. There was good, strong play from the tight three of Sam Mortimer, Ciaran Harrod and Sam Usman, we started to drive North Ribb back towards their own try line. With Nathan Pickles at scrum-half bossing his forwards and unleashing the raw power of Harry Worstead latching onto a nice short pop pass by Pickles, Worstead went crashing through the weary defence of North Ribb handing off several players. Thanks to a great cover tackle coming from the North Ribb winger the play slowed. We decided to slow play down and do a few pick and goes around the corner creating space for Pickles to release the ball for our lively fly half Denon Sokee to run around the whole of the North Ribb back line and to score under the posts, which he converted himself.

North Ribb came back fighting with some really strong play by their backs they started to get back into the game, but for a bone crunching tackle from outside centre Jack Smith, North Ribblesdale released pressure by kicking to touch. Keighley decided to ring the changes and introduce Gregor Curr to No.10 and D Sokee to the wing which woke up the Keighley side and started to take control again using their No. 8 Max Wild to dominate and allow Pickles to get a quick ball and pass it down the line to D Sokee to crash over. The try was converted by Curr.

Half time: Keighley 14 / North Ribblesdale 0

The second half began with a great switch play kick off from Curr, the ball fell nicely for outside centre Smith to race clear and step the full back for his 1st try of the game, converted by Curr. So with Keighley starting the 2nd half as they finished the 1st half things looked positive until strong running and rucking lead to North Ribb’s 1st and 2nd try which were not converted.

Keighley needed waking up and with the fast feet of Joey Van Suilichem now in the second row and the new centre partnership of the Sokee brothers (Denon and Mason) they started to cause problems. The strong runs of Mason unleashed brother Denon to go in for his 3rd try of the game and again Curr converted it.

Keighley had the upper hand but with a lax in concentration and discipline, Keighley had to play the final 15 minutes a player down and North Ribb used this to their advantage, using their quick back to put Keighley under pressure, they then sent in their big prop crashing between the posts as he carried over one of the Keighley players on his back. The try was converted this time.

North Ribb was closing the gap, until M Sokee released winger Smith to go over between the posts for Keighley’s 5th try of the game which was converted by Curr. North Ribb pressed again 2 meters off the Keighley try line looking likely to score; unfortunately they were turned over by some great counter rucking by M Sokee.

Playing in Keighley’s half again North Ribb were once again on the front foot until a crunching tackle from full back Toby Stevens lead to a loose ball which was picked up by D Sokee, looking likely to go the full length of the pitch but was caught by some great tracking by North Ribb’s back three. With support from Pickles Keighley managed to get their 6th try out in the right corner but this time Curr couldn't convert the difficult conversion.

Final score: Keighley 40 / North Ribblesdale 17

Overall this was a great team performance with a lot to take away from the game in time for next weekend’s Yorkshire Cup game again West Park Leeds at home.