IT HAS been a long time since Bradford travelled to Keighley for a league game – almost 42 years, in fact.

But it is to be hoped that Sunday's match is more entertaining than when the derby rivals faced each other on Good Friday back in 1976.

Keighley, who had made waves by reaching the Challenge Cup semi-finals – where they had heart-breakingly lost 5-4 to eventual winners St Helens at Fartown almost a fortnight earlier – had already been relegated from the First Division.

Bradford Northern, meanwhile, were not doing much better and still needed two points to ensure they stayed in the top flight.

Earlier in the season, Keighley had beaten Northern 3-2 at Odsal in what T&A reporter Brian Smith called an "unbelievably dull" match.

Keighley had also won at Odsal the previous season but at Lawkholme Lane it was Northern who generally held sway.

They had won the previous five matches there, going back to September 1968, but went into the match without full back Keith Mumby, whose foot injury ended a run of 54 successive league appearances.

Dave Stockwell therefore took the No 1 shirt, with Gordon Pritchard switching to the left flank and Rudi Francis coming in on the right wing.

Keighley had Billy Woolford back and had a different half-back pairing in Bruce Leek and Geoff Nicholson.

Despite Northern's tricky position in the table, they went into the April 16 derby in fine fettle, having lost only one of their previous seven matches while rattling in 36 tries.

But the changes in their back division meant that they lacked their usual zip and Keighley defended well in what our man called a "disappointing" derby.

Almost ten minutes of additional time was needed to allow for the injuries that Northern sustained, again in their backs, and little of the match had elapsed before Stockwell went off with a groin injury. But he was more fortunate than Mick Blacker, who had to be carried off.

Keighley took the lead with a Brian Jefferson penalty after 14 minutes and the only try of the game came ten minutes later after good handling by Barry Seabourne and Johnny Wolford put Stan Fearnley over.

Seabourne added the extras but two Jefferson goals gave Keighley a 6-5 interval lead in a half which had had little to commend it.

Northern's best chance of a try in the second half came when Graham Evans threw a wild pass to Francis with the line beckoning.

A Seabourne penalty put Northern back ahead at 7-6 before Jefferson levelled with a drop goal.

However, the visitors won it in the 74th minute when a high tackle on Peter Roe gave Seabourne the opportunity to clinch it.

Jefferson had the chance to level for the hosts but opted to kick for position and Northern held them out in a game where Keighley never looked like scoring a try.