Keighley lose Yorkshire Shield 2nd Round Game.

Wetherby 31 Keighley 0
A disappointing start to the season for a depleted Keighley team. This, the second round of the Yorkshire Shield was a typical early season game with a great deal of endeavour and plenty of mistakes. The first half was dominated by Keighley. The forwards started well with Sean Everett providing plenty of ball at the lineout and good retention at the breakdown. Wetherby were under severe pressure. However, too many simple handling errors allowed their big forwards to impose themselves at the scrum. Keighley’s main threat was straight running centre Adam Horsfall, however, too often he lacked close support which made it easy for a well organised defence. Against the run of play Wetherby made a rare foray into the Keighley half and gained a penalty for a breakdown offence, centre Danny Warden landed the points.

The second half was proof that in any sport confidence plays a large part in the proceedings. The Wetherby forwards having absorbed Keighley’s best shots were confident that they could dominate up front; taking the direct approach they drove up field and set about Keighley’s main weakness the scrum. After a series of scrum offences on Keighley’s five metre line the referee rightly awarded a penalty try, which Warden converted. Keighley withdrew into their shell, the forwards over committed to the breakdown, and had little idea of how to support each other in the contact area. What possession they obtained was slow, as a result the back line were under pressure causing errors in basic skills and a breakaway try for the Wetherby winger. With their tails in the air Wetherby moved the ball wide and easily outstripped a poorly organised defence, giving wing forward Liam Hogan an easy run in , once again converted by Warden. Wetherby repeated the treatment in the dying minutes when substitute back Alex Das was able to finish off a move to score. Danny Warden who had a great game with the boot added the conversion.