KEIGHLEY FAIL TO HOLD ON TO GET LOSING BONUS POINT AT BEVERLEY

Beverley 27 Keighley 12
by Sam Griffin
Keighley with availability and injury problems were forced to field a weakened team against Beverley, a team in the top strata of the league. On a grim wet day, both teams struggled to put together any coherent rugby. The first twenty minutes or so were littered with handling errors that led to a stop start game. Eventually the stalemate was broken when a Beverley scrum deep in Keighley territory led to some quick hands and a try for winger Steve Payne who went in at the corner. Keighley, outgunned by a much bigger pack, did very well under the circumstances. Centres Kelly and Tillotson worked well off the slick handling of outside half Grayson Tihema, but a wet pitch and a well organised defence was always going to be a deciding factor. Beverley using their bigger forwards to full advantage pinned Keighley into their own half. Sustained pressure and a darting run from the scrum half Rob Smith gave wing forward Lewis Szrama the chance to crash over the line. Captain and Fly Half Phil Duboulay landed the conversion.
Keighley started the second half with a great deal of determination, number eight Will McLaughlin and the forwards managed to gain good possession and field positions. Unfortunately their efforts were wasted through poor handling and execution. Breaking out of a deep defensive position Beverley full back Luke Hazel broke through some weak defence to score. Once again Keighley raised their game, a loose kick was snapped up by outside half Grayson Tihema who raced fifty yards to score in the corner. Keighley, maintaining their impetus, gained a scrum deep in the opposition territory, stable ball at the back gave replacement scrum half Alan Ebbrell the opportunity he needed, breaking wide he crashed over near the posts, full back Olly Mitchell added the conversion. Beverley stung into action raised the tempo of the game, the pressure led to an offside and a penalty from Duboulay. With the light and the match time fading Douboulay in the last play of the match managed to weave his way through defenders to score a bonus point try, he also added the conversion. On the day Beverley with their big pack and strong defence deserved their win. Keighley though to their credit made them work hard.

1st XV Keighley Home - Won 27-12
Beverley Match Report by Brian Gilbert
Beverley knew the visit of Keighley RUFC to Beaver Park was going to be a tough one, both teams prefer to set a platform for fast flowing running and passing rugby, but the lush summer grass has been replaced with squelchy, soft mud, meaning the conditions were not ideal for either team and contributed to many errors in a stop-start uninspiring game. It is a cliché but top teams get their wins when not playing well, and it was of paramount importance that Beverley kept pressure on the top two teams in Yorkshire, and did so with a bonus point win over determined West Yorkshire opponents, 27-12.

Both teams traded blows winning and losing territory for the first 20 minutes, the breakthrough came from a Beverley scrum deep in Keighley territory, quick passing wide to Steve Payne on the wing who went over in the corner. Fifteen minutes later came the next points, Rob Smith playing at Scrum Half made a characteristic darting and dodging line break offloading to Callum Harvey who galloped 30 yards, from the breakdown Flanker Lewis Szrama was able to force his way over the try line, and the kick at goal was successful from inspirational captain and Fly Half Phil Duboulay, 12-0 and into the break. A tough error strung half, and we all hoped better would follow, and knew that Keighley still had points in them.

That said it was Beverley that drew first blood in the second half with a good passing move and line break, the killer pass coming from Colt and man of the match Charlie Rawlings allowing Luke Hazell to finish from 30 yards, splashing down in the muddiest part of the field in front of his adoring fans and family in the south stand, 17-0. There was a sense of security the score line offered was false, and proven to be the case as Keighley entered a purple patch, firstly and rather opportunistically capitalising on a failed Beverley attacking kick intercepted by the effervescent long haired Grayson Tihema, fly half for Keighley who went 70 yards, and then on 67 minutes a second try this time under the posts from a central scrum for Alan Ebbrell the visitors replacement scrum half, 17-12 with ten to play and the daylight fading - twitchy bum time!

Step up inspirational leader, Phil Duboulay, who calmly slotted 3 points from an offside penalty to steady the ship, and then with what was the last play of the game decided to deliver the much needed fourth try bonus point, breaking the line, weaving past defenders and accelerating expeditiously to the try line, splashing down under the posts and simultaneously blowing a kiss as he slid through the mud towards the south stand, where his lovely wife Jess was watching, and had just announced she was carrying Phil’s baby – perfect! Phil Gorge refereeing blew his full time whistle after the conversion, 27-12.

Although not a classic game of rugby it was thrilling to the end and the Beverley faithful were rewarded with five points, sitting third in the league with a match in hand over the leaders.

It was particularly pleasing to see ex-Chairman Malcolm Cunningham back at Beaver Park, recovering from a big operation a few months ago. Welcome home Mal. Come back fully fit soon, to do better match reports than these!