Ilkley 11, Keighley 10

Keighley’s Graham Sheffield was far from downcast after seeing his side lose their second Yorkshire Division One game out of three yesterday.

The director of rugby at Rose Cottage said: “We have a lot to do but I would rather be working with these young men than many I have worked with over my career.

“They show a lot of energy in training and in matches.”

Keighley began this derby, which doubled up as a Yorkshire Shield tie, well, fly half Alex Brown landing a first-minute penalty which almost apologetically bounced over via the crossbar.

And they dominated the final 20 minutes, flanker Tom Lowther, later named their man of the match, scoring a try in the 67th minute after good work by replacement Craig Spencer, who replaced prop Ollie Sugden (hand injury) at half-time.

But Brown then missed the conversion and three subsequent penalties, one of which seemed on course for two-thirds of its journey before veering just wide.

Sheffield added: “We could have won it in the first ten minutes and in the last ten minutes but I am sure that we are on the right track.

“Some days you lose by a point and other days you win by a point but the changes that we made during the match all had a positive effect.”

A relieved Ilkley director of rugby Tom Gillon said: “We showed a lot of fortitude in the last ten minutes but in some ways we were a bit fortunate.

“Keighley played well and they are a tough side, and I am sure that it will be the same at Bradford Salem next week.”

Ilkley’s Phil Howell, kicking in the absence of ankle-injury victim Peter Shanks, struck the ball longer than Brown, and landed an equalising penalty in the fourth minute.

The home side were then a shade lucky in that a black shirt seemed to bounce off another in a congested midfield, which distracted the Keighley defence, the upshot being a try for Ilkley flanker Christian Baines in the ninth minute.

Referee Mel Tate (Yorkshire Society) spent a lot of the first half handing out lectures - firstly to props Paul Sinfield (Keighley) and Josh Cockerham (Ilkley), and then to skippers Leigh Sugden (Keighley) and Stuart Vincent (Ilkley).

Tate’s patience soon ran out in the second half, Sinfield (punching) and Will Armitage (late tackle) being yellow-carded for Keighley, and Simon Smith (high tackle) for Ilkley, all within ten minutes of the restart.

Ilkley scrum half Kirk Arundale joined those having a ten-minute rest in the 73rd minute, but the most surprising thing was that there was no further scoring in a scrappy and sometimes heated affair.