Yorkshire Division Three: Baildon 17 Knottingley 28

BAILDON have had a topsy-turvy season in Yorkshire Division Three.

They looked dead and buried when they lost 11 of their first 13 matches, only notching victories over Leeds Medics & Dentists and Sheffield Medicals.

However, they revived their survival chances by winning three successive fixtures in January and early February against Skipton, Stocksbridge and Harrogate Pythons since when they have lost two games that they might have won.

Now, having failed to cash in against visitors Leeds Modernians and Knottingley, the Jenny Laners, who are second from bottom and six points from safety, are in a five-way fight for survival.

But they do have two games in hand on cellar dwellers Stocksbridge and a game in hand on Leeds Medics & Dentists, and Baildon's experienced fly half Nick Lister said: "We have got out of worse situations than this before."

Civil engineer Lister, who turns 33 next month, is playing regularly for Baildon for the first time in three seasons as he is about to move back up north permanently after working weekdays in Cardiff.

He said: "Eight to ten points from these two games and we would have been right up there.

"Here we were held up over their line three times and if those were given we would be talking about a victory by four points.

"We definitely feel that Harrison Strauss got the ball down, and we deserved something out of the game, but we should have made more of the first half."

Lister added: "It is different these days as I used to play alongside my mates, but now I am an older head playing alongside youngsters, but fortunately they listen most of the time."

Experienced centre Marcus Dracup, who will soon be 35, added: "Two wins and we will be right up there."

On a surprisingly balmy afternoon for Baildon in February, the home side had to play without Matt Withers, who pulled out on the morning of the match, which meant Luke Strauss moving inside to centre and teenager Adam France coming in on the wing.

The hosts opted to play downhill first but didn't really make the slope count and turned round 14-10 behind.

Scrum half Ollie Williams was wide with a second-minute penalty before the hosts took advantage of a high tackle on Lister four minutes later.

Baildon kicked to the corner and prop Joe Smith, making his seasonal debut, scored from a close-in drive and Williams converted.

However, they were only able to add a Williams penalty in stoppage time as their moves were too often stifled by knock ons, while Knottingley's strong runners capitalised on being able to build up a head of steam past flat-footed initial defenders as they scored two converted tries.

Lock George Wright plunged over on the right for the Worms' first try in the 11th minute after penning Baildon in their 22, with Nick Beach's well-struck conversion just having the legs to go over via the crossbar.

Centre Ryan Eades then went over in the 25th minute after a run that was strong and evasive, with Beach again converting.

Baildon took the lead in the 49th minute up the slope via a try by full back Matty Robinson, with Williams again converting, but they were left chasing a bonus point as Knottingley added two more converted tries.

Replacement Ben Tucker then crossed after a show and go in the 54th minute, and centre Adam Baxter was determined not to be stopped four minutes later, with Beach landing both conversions.

The best chance of the hosts getting back in the game in terms of a losing bonus point came in the 73rd minute when Harrison Strauss appeared to make the line.

However, referee Dave England (South Yorkshire Society) was on the wrong side of a clutch of players and could not see the grounding and therefore disallowed the try.