Yorkshire Division One: Keighley 26 Moortown 25

THERE was late drama aplenty as Keighley had the first Friday night Yorkshire Division One clash on their Rugby 365 AGP.

Keighley were in control at 23-6 when their powerful No 8 Leigh Sugden was sin-binned by referee Laurence Pearson (West Yorkshire Society) for not releasing a tackler.

Only 12 minutes remained, but Moortown cue loose to score three tries before the home enforcer got back on the pitch.

Aided by missed tackles, fly half Eddie Crossland (72 minutes), replacement Oliver Shakeshaft (75) and winger Tom Moorby (82) all bagged tries, with centre Daryl Gaunt adding two conversions as a 17-point deficit turned into a two-point advantage.

All the Leeds visitors had to do was collect the kick-off and boot the ball into touch to claim victory, but they surrendered possession and, worse than that, were penalised for being off their feet.

That gave skipper Alex Brown the chance to win it for the hosts and, despite having missed three of his four earlier efforts, he calmly stroked the ball between the sticks to give Keighley a victory that they looked like they had thrown away.

In front of a better than average crowd for a Saturday league match, Moortown, who were two places and four points better off than ninth-placed Keighley, tried to play the game at pace.

However, defences were on top, and it wasn't until the 20th minute that Brown opened the scoring with a penalty after a high tackle.

Centre Sean Kelly, who had earlier needed treatment, pulled off a try-saving tackle on the left, pushing centre Lecky Robinson into touch in the 33rd minute.

Two minutes later, however, an astute kick by Keighley scrum half Lucas Uren bounced neatly for centre Alfie Seeley to score.

Brown pulled his conversion attempt wide, and Gaunt cut the deficit to five points by landing a 39th-minute penalty.

However, there was still time for Uren to score a try a minute into stoppage time, although Brown's conversion was again off target.

Trailing 13-3 at half-time, Gaunt bagged his second penalty three minutes into the second half after another high tackle.

Keighley then began to turn the screw, with Sugden being driven over in the 49th minute after good work by Kelly and hooker Ryan Gibson.

Sugden threw the ball at an opponent after scoring, however, giving Moortown a penalty at the subsequent kick off, but the visitors could not make their attack count and home lock James Fox pirouetted his way to the line in the 56th minute following good work by prop Sam Booker and Sugden.

Keighley were now 23-6 ahead and parity for the next 12 minutes was just fine with the four-try bonus point in the bag.

But the contest was turned on its head after Sugden's yellow card, and crisp attacking brought Moortown their three tries, two of which were converted, to put them ahead.

All seemed lost but then the visitors transgressed and Brown pounced.