Rugby Union: Too hot to handle

After suffering relegation last season the ambitious Huddersfield club has recruited virtually a new team to it magnificent Lockwood Park headquarters, including a significant group from the now defunct Wakefield club. Their power up front was simply too much for Keighley's young pack to handle.

To their credit they Utley men were never overawed nor totally out-played. Young second row forward Rob Clarke had hiss best game at first team level and 19-year-old Stewart Inman, on his league debut, showed bags of potential. The pick of a hard working Keighley pack was, however, Andy Bennett who in the continued absence of the injured Paul Salmon is rapidly becoming the cornerstone of the pack.

The backs were evenly matched with Keighley's Matthew Cox and Asa Firth the speediest on view from either side, and it was reassuring to see stand-off Johnny Harrison showing signs of recapturing his best kicking form.

It took the best part of 30 minutes for Huddersfield to take the lead through a penalty goal by the much-travelled Jamie Grayshon, and by half time this was increased to 13 points. After No8 Mark Sowerby finished off a good build up with a try converted by Grayshon who also landed a penalty goal.

Keighley were unlucky to lose the services of Leigh Sugden who was harshly dismissed to the sin bin for handling in a ruck and it was during his absence that Huddersfield took control. Firstly Keighley's depleted pack was unable to prevent Kiwi Hamish Pratt from stealing the ball at a scrum 10 metres out and crossing unopposed, before the same player was forced over again from a powerful rolling maul. Grayshon's conversions established a 27-point lead which was too much of a hurdle for Keighley to overcome.

Wingman Chris Watts finally brought some cheer to the Keighley supporters when he touched down his own kick ahead and for a time Keighley enjoyed something of a revival. Several times their back worried the home defence with some adventurous running, but the considerable efforts of both backs and forwards went unrewarded.

Keighley's enterprise finally became their undoing when wingman Tim Taylor took advantage of a handling mistake as they tried to turn defence into attack, picking up the loose ball to add another try.

It was the visitors, however, who provided much of the best rugby. A penetrating run by Cox took play almost to the Huddersfield line and a series of forward assaults was somehow repelled before the home side drove play back into the Keighley half.

Grayshon was quick to take advantage of Keighley's temporary lack of concentration, darting over from a quickly taken tapped penalty, and soon afterwards prop Mark Bartlett was hundled over for a try from a rolling maul.

Pratt completed Huddersfield's scoring with his third try after their backs and forwards had combined well, but it was Keighley who had the last hurrah when Firth intercepted deep in his own half and strolled in for a try which was converted by Harrison.

Keighley 2nd XV 43

N. Ribblesdale 2nd XV 10

Keighley dominated the opposition for the second week, only to go off the boil in the last ten minutes and allow Ribblesdale two late tries. Richard Cavender again had an excellent game and he soon had his backs running at pace. Joe McArthur crashed over by the posts for the first try and Cavender easily added the conversion and a penalty.

Mark Lister and the young front row of Sugden, McArthur and Thornton were winning good and Cavender was the catalyst for the third try when he put in a chip to the right wing. Michael Hebden, playing his first senior game caught the ball in full flight and beat the defence to score in the corner. Keighley lost McArthur through a shoulder injury to be replaced by Darren Ideson on a visit from the Isle of Man, although his old handling skills have not disappeared but his pace has drastically reduced.

Hebden was first to score in the second half when Lister won the ball from the Ribblesdale forwards. Lister burst through a lineout to pick up a loose ball and score under the sticks and forward Phil Cotton gave scored by the posts.

John Currie, who had worked tirelessly all afternoon, used his strength to break through tackles to score Keighley's sixth try.

Then Keighley had their bad ten minutes with Ribblesdale scoring their first try when James Tillotson who played the first half at scrum half for Keighley was now helping Ribblesdale out as they had run out of subs ran in for try from thirty yards out.

Their last try came from the strength of John Walker (a name from the record books at Lawkholme) who drew in three would be tacklers to release his wingman with an easy try from ten yards out.