Salem have a lot to be delighted about

by BILL MARSHALL

On the evidence of this performance Bradford Salem showed they can be a force in Yorkshire Division Two.

And the comments of their new coach Malcolm Lightowler re-inforced the view after the game.

"What we are looking at is certainly finishing in the top three, if not promotion, and a good cup run.

"We took a lot of confidence from winning our pre-season game at Keighley, and we want to hang on to our top players such as Joe Simpson and Steve Brown."

Centre Brown scored a try and set up one for Simpson, who totalled 21 points by adding another try, four conversions and a penalty.

Simpson had been for pre-season training at Wharfedale, while Bradford and Bingley had also been showing an interest in him, but Lightowler said: "Joe is here and here to stay.

"Other sides have had a look at him, but he is a Bradford lad and doesn't want to play anywhere else.

"We want to keep Joe and Steve and build the team around them."

Ilkley, who ironically play Salem away on Saturday in the first round of the NPI Intermediate Cup, hauled themselves back from 14-3 to 14-11 by half-time.

But fly half Justin Hewitt then missed a penalty made trickier by a stiff breeze, and Simpson went down to the other end and landed one.

The visitors then got the rub of the green when referee Gareth Dawkins (Yorkshire Society) from Heaton was unsighted and missed a knock-on. Salem profited with a try by No 8 Jonny Luxton which Simpson converted or 24-11.

Those seven points sealed the match for Salem, but Ilkley coach Simon Tipping said afterwards: "Salem aren't as good as they were two or three years back.

"We won every one of our scrums and line outs, and took some of their line-outs and won a couple of heels against the head.

"But what we didn't do was tackle, especially in a 15-minute period in the second half.

"We weren't coming up together or doing any of the things we had talked about beforehand."

Lightowler backed up some of Tipping's comments by saying: "There are things we need to work on - particularly in the forwards with the line-outs."

But he left the ground with a smile on his face at having come through a fixture that has provided some awkward moments for Salem in the past.

Ilkley must have been disappointed at conceding tries from such long distance.

The first came after only four minutes when home scrum half Chris Pring kicked diagonally towards Salem's right corner.

Simpson is never more dangerous than when picking a ball up and running at the opposition, and after making good ground initially, several phases of play later he was put in for a try by the equally incisive Brown.

Former Bradford Bulls academy player Simpson converted, Ilkley replying with a Hewitt penalty.

The home side then twice probed down Salem's left before Brown galloped over, Simpson converting for 14-3.

Ilkley again attacked down their right, and were rewarded with a Pring try, and they then had the boost of a Hewitt penalty that sailed over via the far upright bang on the half-time whistle.

The early phase of the second half was crucial to the final outcome, what with Hewitt's penalty miss, Simpson's success and Salem's try from the missed knock-on.

Salem lock Jason France was sin-binned for twice failing to retreat ten metres, and then watched his team-mates score 12 points without reply when he was off!

Both sides had had a near miss, skipper Ben McDonald putting a foot in touch for Ilkley before going over, and Simpson being halted by the referee's whistle after right winger Russell Donoghue's pass to him was ruled forward.

Left winger Dave Atter crossed, and then Simpson went in from 40 metres and converted for 36-11.

McDonald had the last word with a try on the right, but it is going to require a major effort by his side if they are to win at Shay Lane next weekend.