Bradford Salem 19, Bridlington 14

(after extra time, 14-14 full time, Salem won on golden point)

CHRIS Clough has had a torrid last two months.

He was injured and suspended in the same incident after being sent off on March 17 against West Park Leeds during Bradford Salem's triumphal unbeaten march to the Yorkshire Division Two title.

Having also picked up a couple of yellow cards in succeeding matches, everything he tried seemed to turn to dust, including knocks-ons, loose passes and giving away penalties.

Yet when Salem needed him to deliver in the Yorkshire Shield final at Hull Ionians, with the Heaton club facing their first defeat of the season, the centre came good in spades.

Replacing former England international Dan Scarbrough (shoulder injury) with half an hour left, Clough was in golden form.

Every dummy was bought by the Bridlington defence, every offload went into a team-mate's bread basket, he gave away no penalties and scored the try from the last play of normal time to force extra time.

Tapping and going when your team are 14-7 down in the eighth minute of injury time did not seem the wisest option – but Clough's brave move was rewarded when he used his strength to force his way over the line, Danny Belcher's conversion setting up the additional 20 minutes.

However, having denied Bridlington at the last, Salem subsequently never looked like losing.

"Bridlington had been competing well at the breakdown but they were scared of giving away a penalty, so stopped competing for the ball during extra time and, for the first time, we were able to put some phases together," said a delighted and relieved Salem coach Phil Nilsen.

That continuity resulted in Sam Savage going over on the left three minutes into the first period with a Chris Ashton 'swallow dive' – and mayhem followed as Salem celebrated adding the Yorkshire Shield to their league title.

For most of the rest of a tense contest, it seemed as if Bridlington would make it to their fifth Shield victory (1989, 2006, 2010, 2012) before Salem got their fourth (1960, 1962, 2009).

Nilsen said: "Credit to Bridlington. They had done their homework, had a good game-plan and we couldn't have complained had we lost."

However, some of that game-plan involved being physical towards Scarbrough and fly half Andy Robinson.

Full back Jack Arthur missed two early penalties for Bridlington, who also got away with a deliberate knock-on before Savage got his first try in the left corner in the 24th minute, full back Belcher's superb conversion making it 7-0.

But Bridlington levelled seven minutes later, getting a good shove on at a scrum for No 8 Jimmy Thompson to score, Arthur converting.

Salem could not capitalise on the sin-binning of lock Callum Cappleman in the first minute of the second half for a trip on Robinson and they spent much of the opening 25 minutes of the second half in defence.

Bridlington duly capitalised when a Salem midfield move broke down in the 64th minute, left winger Regan Stirk scoring for Arthur to convert again.

It looked like Salem had blown their chance of levelling when right winger Ryan Smith knocked on with Belcher waiting outside him for a potential try-scoring pass in the 80th minute.

But the Bradford club had reckoned without the skill and bravery of Clough.