A DAY after just about everybody thought that Bradford Salem's defence of the Yorkshire Shield was over, they were reinstated and are through to the semi-finals.

Salem drew a thrilling quarter-final 40-40 after extra-time at West Leeds on Tuesday night after extra-time, with the score also being level at full-time (30-30) and half-time (13-13).

It was believed that West Leeds had won through by scoring more tries (five to four).

However, the actual tie-breaker is converted tries, which Salem edged four to three, meaning that they qualify for a semi-final at Pontefract.

Salem's first-team manager Neil Klenk explained yesterday: "We queried about West Leeds going through because the rules clearly state that the initial tie-breaker is converted tries scored, which, our afiocionado Paul Rae tells me, goes right back to the olden days when tries were not called tries unless they were converted.

"Now in the cold light of the following day, we have had an official response from Peter Morgan, who is chairman of the Yorkshire Cup, Shield and Silver Trophy committee, who has ruled that we go through.

"West Leeds are obviously disappointed and may appeal but I cannot see how they can win it if it is in the rulebook that converted tries is the first tie-breaker."

Salem went ahead with a try by No 8 Jamie Booth that was converted by full back Danny Belcher, who then added a penalty for 10-0.

West Leeds replied with a penalty but Salem then had a Belcher try controversially disallowed in the corner for incorrect grounding and what could have been 15-3 or 17-3 to Salem became 10-10 and then 13-10 to West Leeds as they slotted another penalty.

Belcher levelled matters with his second penalty before half-time, but the visitors paid dearly for the controversial sin-binning of second row John Morrell for a maul offence by conceding three tries while he was off the field.

Down 30-13 with about 20 minutes left, however, Salem summoned up the spirit of the Shield that had led to them forcing extra-time in last season's final with a final-play try against Bridlington at Hull Ionians before winning it via a golden-point try in extra-time.

Belcher backed up Harry Hall's interception to score a try, Simon Markey made the line after a tap and go, which Belcher converted before landing the penalty that forced extra-time.

The full back then scored a converted try and a penalty in the first period of extra-time before being sin-binned for a late tackle when West Leeds scored a converted try, with the hosts adding a late penalty which they thought had given them victory.