Yorkshire Division Three: Leeds Modernians 26 Baildon 19

BAILDON, who are heavy odds-on to go down, paid for switching off for ten minutes in this Yorkshire Division Three derby defeat.

Leading 12-5 at half-time, having played down the hill at Cookridge, they conceded three swift converted tries by weak tackling, during which they often made contact too high or missed their target altogether.

On a pitch that was surprisingly swampy, Mods struck almost immediately with an unconverted try in the left-hand corner as, in an attack that predicted what was to happen later, tackles went too high.

However, the visitors responded well when Luke Strauss pulled off an interception and ran 50 metres to score under the posts for scrum half Ollie Williams to convert.

Baildon then failed to take advantage of a penalty that was kicked to the corner, losing the line-out, while combative forwards Adam Hewitt and Lewis Morgan punched holes in the home defence but were too often isolated.

Gaps did open on the blind side, however, as Zak Orrell broke through the defensive line on the stroke of half-time and found himself in acres of space, with options right and left.

Orrell took the outside line, knowing that he could off load, but had enough gas to leave the last defender grasping thin air.

Leading 12-5, Baildon started the second half well up the slope, playing keep ball and then earning a penalty when Andy Magee got over the ball with a great body shape.

What happened next was ugly, however, as the visitors conceded three tries from first-phase Mods possession, not even making the hosts earn their scores, and the visitors' body language was poor.

From leading by seven points, the Jenny Laners now trailed by 14 points, but as soon as the malaise set in it lifted.

Then as suddenly as the malaise set in, it lifted.

At once every visiting player was looking for work and relishing contact as heads went up.

Communications were positive, there was urgency among the players and the result was five successive penalties conceded by Mods on their own try line.

After three or four phases, Hewitt barged over for a converted try, receiving an elbow to boot after the try was awarded.

Now with a losing bonus point in their pocket, the visitors continued to press as the clocked ticked down and had multiple phases in Mods' 22.

However, the clock beat the visitors and left them ruing those fatal ten minutes in the second half when they lost focus.

Even five-point wins in their remaining two matches may not be enough for Baildon as Harrogate Pythons would only need five points to overhaul them and Skipton two, and both have two games in hand on the Jenny Laners.