SSE Yorkshire Division Two: Keighley 20 Barnsley 8

A CRISP start by Keighley saw Barnsley under immediate pressure.

Although they weathered the initial storm, they were soon trapped in their own half and, after a series of forward drives, scrum half Alan Ebbrell sold a neat dummy to score.

Barnsley fought their way back into the game and centre Will Smith landed a penalty.

Gaining confidence, the visitors ran the ball well, but a solid Keighley defence held firm. Eventually the pressure told, however, and good line-out ball was driven on and back-rower Nick Davies scored wide out.

Keighley responded and, with their back row of Josh Hannah and Shaun Minikin to the fore, they began to find gaps in the defence.

A series of rucks near the Barnsley line then gave Leigh Sugden the chance to drive over.

In the second half, Barnsley raised the tempo by spreading the ball wide and, although they came close on a number of occasions, the home defence once again thwarted their efforts.

In the last third of the game, the Keighley forwards began to dominate and, after several scrums near the Barnsley line, Sugden drove over for his second try.

Towards the end of the game, some excellent driving play gave Keighley’s scrum half the chance to break down the blindside, and fly half Rob Wilkinson was in support and he easily rounded a defender to give winger Jack Atkinson a neat try-scoring pass.