Bradford Salem 15, Knottingley 26: There are still 20 points to play for, but Bradford Salem's third defeat of the season in Yorkshire Division Three probably means they are now playing for the second promotion place.

Things started so well for the third-placed team at home to the leaders, Knottingley handicapping themselves by only arriving 30 minutes before kick-off as they had to travel in cars rather than a bus.

After 20 minutes, Knottingley, who had won 11 out of 11 before Saturday's clash, were 10-0 behind. However, the deadly accurate goal-kicking of scrum half Steven Rockett and two tries in seven minutes early in the second half contributed largely to Salem's eventual undoing.

Prop Craig Buxton, who got Salem's only points of the second half with a 54th-minute try, said: "I was chatting to Knottingley lock Mark Woolford afterwards and he admitted they were all over the place for the first half-hour.

"But we gave away some silly penalties - for coming round the fringes and for being offside - things we knew we shouldn't do.

"And it was the same story at their place in November when Steven Rockett kicked four penalties from fairly straight to give them a 12-8 victory, and he is not a bad lad at goal-kicking.

"Then on Saturday Knottingley just hoofed the ball downfield, chased it and hoped for a lucky bounce, which they got.

"We were half-expecting them to kick for touch from the positions they were in rather than thump the ball downfield."

This led to tries for right winger Leon Parsons and Steven Rockett himself, and in no time Knottingley had turned a 10-9 half-time deficit into a potentially match-winning 23-10 advantage.

However, it might not have been a critical lead were it not for Knottingley's defence. Buxton said: "We had an awful lot of pressure on their five-metre line for quite a long time in the second half, and only got one try - mine.

"Our full back Chris Luxton went close, we were held up short and had a five-metre scrum, and then they kicked the ball downfield and we found ourselves with a line-out just outside our 22."

Buxton added: "Dave Luxton is a handy replacement, but it was a blow losing prop Simon Davies with a shoulder injury in the 40th minute. He is our anchor and shores up the scrum, and then Dave injured his back so he wasn't getting as low as he could."

Some spectators thought the home team kicked away too much possession, but Buxton countered by saying: "That suggests that we were kicking the ball down their throats, but what we were really doing was kicking for space."

Salem's other points came from the best try of the day from Davies after flanker Steve Cowman had made an incision down the centre and scrum half Terry Franklin and skipper No 8 Mark Viner had continued the attack. Fly half Jonathan Jacobs added a conversion and a penalty.

Buxton reckoned: "Knottingley are the best side we have played this season. To win 12 out of 12 they are doing something right, and they were also losing at half-time at Moortown and hit back to win. Their success revolves around half-backs William Stanfield and Steven Rockett. They are well organised there.

"They will probably win the division now, although they still have to go to Hemsworth (second) and they still have to face Leeds Corinthians (fifth). We now have to look to go up via second place."

The defeat has dropped Salem to fourth behind Stocksbridge, who won at Castleford.