Finally the wait is over!

Keighley Squad

Harvey Bird
Lennon Curr
Bobby Darbyshire
AlexanderFeather
James Field
Harry Gould
Leon Hobson-Sheriff
Callum Humphris
Ethan Lawrie
Joss McArthur
Jack McHugh
George Nelson
Nathan Pickles
Thomas Richardson
Jack Rodbourne
Freddie Seavers
Zachary Scott
Daniel Smillie
Luis Spragg
Keir Welch
Aaron Wilson

After what seems like an age, the Mini’s Rugby Union season finally got underway this weekend with Keighley making the trip deep into the Dales to meet both Cumbrian and North Yorkshire opponents.

A confident Keighley side made the first play of what turned out to be a very even and competitive match. The long kick from Lennon Curr to start the match immediately put the Penrith back row under pressure but good swift hands enabled them to press forward in stages putting the Keighley pack to the sword. Good rucking from forwards Jack McHugh and Leon Hobson-Sheriff helped Keighley gain the advantage but a loose pass out of defence allowed the Penrith stand-off space to intercept and then storm towards the Keighley line un-opposed.
Penrith 5 – Keighley 0

The re-start did nothing to encourage a somewhat flat Keighley team and while they fought hard at the breakdown, their game was becoming littered with errors with too many dropped passes and on 7 minutes another wayward pass across the line was intercepted and the resultant converted try saw Keighley go further behind.
Penrith 12 – Keighley 0
Captain James Field playing in an unfamiliar second row position rallied his troops and led from the front and punished some sloppy defence close to the Penrith line stealing the ball from a maul on 5 metres and rolling round to reduce the deficit. Curr missed the conversion attempt.
Penrith 12 – Keighley 5

With Keir Welch bossing the scrum from No.8 Keighley clawed their way back into the game and with scrum-half Freddie Seavers buzzing around, Zac Scott reversed the ball from a solid scrum near the Penrith 22 which McHugh plundered forwards pinging a flat pass straight at Field who duly accepted the invitation to touch down despite the close attention of the Penrith back line. Ethan Lawrie duly converted.
Penrith 12 – Keighley 12 – Half Time

The second half started with Keighley playing downhill and with more resolve but as a result of hasty ½ time marking of the dead ball line the best move of the game, started on the right wing by Tom Richardson’s swift feet then to the ever industrious Welch, across again to Curr, Lawrie and finally to Rodbourne who popped up at outside centre, placing the ball carefully while repelling the advances of 2 Penrith forwards only to learn that he had overstepped the dead ball line and the try was cancelled out.

Keighley piled on the pressure and kept forcing the Penrith defence into errors and when Seavers gratefully received the ball won against the head by the dominant Keighley forwards in a scrum on the Penrith 5 metre line, he jinked outside and over the line to put Keighley in front for the first time. Scott missed the conversion.
Penrith 12 – Keighley 17

While apparently relaxed, in control and in front, Keighley lost focus for a few moments and again allowed an unchallenged darting run by Penrith's fleet-footed stand-off to touch down in the right corner. Conversion missed.
Penrith 17 – Keighley 17

Curr drilled the re-start deep into Penrith territory and pressure from a returning Joss McArthur forced the Penrith winger into touch on the 5 metre line. Rodbourne’s pin-point throw from the lineout allowed McHugh the opportunity to showcase his strength and he powered over in the corner to score. Curr adding the conversion.
Penrith 17 – Keighley 24 – Full Time

A hard-fought and deserved win after suffering early set-backs. Special mention must be made of the 4 Keighley players, Callum Humphris, George Nelson, Nathan Pickles and Luis Spragg who volunteered to make up Penrith’s injury depleted numbers, all playing well and showing their ability to integrate into other playing squads.