Yorkshire Division One: Keighley 43 Selby 10

KEIGHLEY'S official opening of their Rugby 365 AGP (artificial grass pitch) was certainly a day to remember.

Jason Robinson OBE, a try-scorer in England's 2003 World Cup final win, cut the ribbon and was later involved in a question-and-answer session in the clubhouse.

RFU president John Spencer spoke of how the RFU were intent on leaving a legacy from the 2015 World Cup, there was a feast of junior rugby both before and after the main match, and Keighley showed that they were finally getting to grips with their new surface by running in seven tries.

Upwards of 500 people came and went during the seven hours or so, and Keighley's head coach Dave Duxbury said: "We could have have had two or three more tries, but it could hardly have gone much better.

"Numbers drop off at training at this time of year, but we still had over 30 training and, crucially, all of the first-team squad so we were able to do a rugby-focused session."

First-team manager Will Armitage added: "It was a massive win for the lads and just what we needed going into the festive break.

"Selby upped their game in the second half but we just absorbed it and then countered it and finished the game strongly.

"If we keep training like we have been doing, we will be fine."

On a cold afternoon, which was mercifully wind free, Keighley made a fine start when skipper Alex Brown intercepted in the third minute and gave winger Joe Copperwaite an inside pass to open his path to the line.

Fly half Brown converted to make it 7-0, but Selby were over themselves two minutes later when they exposed a mismatch in Keighley's defence for prop Duncan Hardy to cross in the right corner.

Fly half Scott Hunt missed the conversion, but Selby hardly threatened again in the half.

Keighley hit back with a choice try in the eighth minute, with centre Alfie Seeley breaking down the right channel and putting winger Joey Sugden in space, although the latter still had to show his paces to skirt outside his opposite number on his way to the line.

Brown converted for 14-5 and then missed a long-range penalty before Keighley got back within try-scoring range.

Lock Luke Carter knocked on in a promising position but made amends soon after, good footwork enabling him to spot a gap in Selby's defence and charge through it to score in the 22nd minute.

Brown's conversion made it 21-5, and their bonus-point try two minutes later was even more pleasing as flanker Tom Willson broke up the middle and found scrum half Lucas Uren in support before the ball was switched right for centre Sean Kelly to take a lovely line to score when the visitors' defence were expecting a pass out wide to Joey Sugden.

Brown pulled the conversion attempt but it took them 19 minutes into the second half to breach Selby's line again.

The visitors, who were perhaps fired up during the interval, made their most concerted assault on the home line at the beginning of the period.

Keighley repelled that by pinching the ball and clearing it, and then No 8 Leigh Sugden almost broke through before Seeley went over on the right in the 59th minute when referee Andy Hodgson (North Yorkshire Society) was playing a penalty advantage.

Brown hit an upright with the conversion attempt, and missed another six minutes later when Copperwaite's run down the right was finished off by livewire half-back Uren after Brown and replacement Hamish Pratt provided key links.

Copperwaite then almost got on the end of a subtle grubber kick by Brown in the 68th minute before the winger scored his second try two minutes later.

Brown's conversion took the score to 43-5 but Selby, who never stopped trying, had the last word via a try by flanker Tom Hicks two minutes into injury time.

Centre Alex Webster missed the conversion for the bottom-of-the-table side, whereas Keighley's comprehensive victory enabled them to climb two places to eighth.