KEIGHLEY STAGS (2nd TEAM) FALL AT FIRST HURDLE IN AIRE-WHARFE CUP 2016

Keighley 2 (Stags) travelled up the valley to Sandylands for this Aire-Wharfe Cup 1st Round game against Skipton 1st XV and found the home side in determined form bringing their league form in Yorkshire 4 into the cup tie. Playing with the strong wind towards the cricket field, Skipton had 2 successful penalty kicks to give them a 6-0 lead. The Stags had few real clear cut chances with only a couple of distance efforts . A minute before the break Skipton had a try ruled out for a forward pass but seconds later made amends with a converted try to give them a 13-0 half time lead. After the break, Skipton went a man down but Keighley could still not force an advantage . Eventually they saw good work between Neil Jordan and Jake Hill to set up Cameron Bealy-Kay to score under the posts; Ollie Mitchell converting to reduce Skipton's lead to just 6 points. (13-7) . Keighley tried hard to pinch the game and had territorial advantage but too many errors throughout saw the home side defend all attacks. Skipton then sealed the game with a try to advance 18-7 to the 2nd Round of the Cup and leave Keighley ruing their missed chances but hoping to atone for them in next week's Plate competition for Cup 1st Round losers.