HISTORY almost repeated itself in a remarkable way at Shay Lane.

In September 2016, Keighley fly-half Alex Brown kicked a penalty eight minutes into stoppage time to give the visitors a 19-17 Yorkshire Division One victory on a sweltering afternoon.

On Saturday, in much colder conditions, Brown kicked a penalty eight minutes into stoppage time to give Keighley, who had two men in the sin-bin in the last 20 minutes, a 22-22 draw in Counties One Yorkshire.

Salem had been pulled up for offside to give Brown his chance but, more controversially, the hosts had been penalised for feeding at a scrum – a very rare occurrence these days – just seconds earlier to give Keighley field position for one last attack.

Dan McGee’s Keighley side walked off the pitch all smiles, while Salem went down the steps to the changing rooms looking like they had found a pound but lost a fiver.

Visiting centre Sean Kelly, back in action after two months off with a strained knee ligament, admitted: “We definitely got away with one as we weren’t at our best and luckily we came away with a draw.

“It is always difficult against Salem as both teams were up for it, but it was too scrappy from us and normally we are quite clinical. It was quite out of character.”

Kelly added: “We should still be able to finish first or second though.”

Second-placed Keighley, whose only change was Kelly in for the unavailable Ben Blackwell, won the first two penalties and Brown cashed in, kicking a fifth-minute penalty from outside the 22 on a slight angle.

However, the first sign of sloppiness from the visitors was exploited three minutes later when they failed to get hold of Salem centre Hesitoni Fa, who barrelled over for a try that Jake Green converted.

Brown then missed a penalty from just outside the 10-metre line, hitting the far post with a glancing blow, but he made amends in the 15th minute from just outside the 22 to reduce the deficit to 7-6.

The penalty count was heavily in Keighley’s favour in the first half (12-2) and they took the lead in the 23rd minute when full-back Alan Ebbrell scooted over on the right, with Brown’s conversion making it 13-7.

Salem’s backs showed their pace three minutes later, with fly-half Sam Allan’s dummy giving them space, centre Heimulu Taufa carrying on the attack, only for Green to drop the ball.

Nothing of note then happened until first-half stoppage time, when Salem No.8 Tom Cummins scored a try after his side had been given a penalty.

Green’s conversion made the score 14-13 to the men from Heaton at the break.

Salem were not ahead for long, however, as Brown’s penalty three minutes into the second half put Keighley in front again.

Then came the try of the match, as Allan’s kick-off was claimed on the full by his prop Xander McConville.

He drove on and passed to his brother, left winger Caleb McConville, who finished the attack off.

Green’s conversion attempt faded just wide of the near post but he was more annoyed in the 50th minute when he pulled a kickable penalty wide, slinging the tee in the direction of the touchline in frustration afterwards.

He was more successful six minutes later after a high tackle on flanker Nick Fontaine, landing the penalty from just outside the 22 on the angle.

Brown had his easiest kick of the afternoon in the 58th minute after Salem were offside, slotting the ball over from in front of the posts to pull the score back to 22-19.

Salem immediately made a triple change, bringing on James Brown, Morgan Mirzaali and Harley Robertshaw for Fontaine, Caleb McConville and Clayden Paranihi.

But even that injection of fresh legs could not help Salem capitalise when Keighley lost replacement Cameron Bealey-Kay (high tackle) and prop Sam Booker (late tackle) to the sin bin after 65 and 70 minutes respectively.

That laid the platform for the unusual climax, with referee Gavin Pender awarding that penalty to Keighley for Kyle Carter feeding at a scrum, when all Salem needed to do was secure their own ball to claim the win.

Keighley came off feeling that it was very much two points gained while Salem left the pitch cursing two points that had slipped out of their grasp..

The replayed match for Keighley against third-placed Beverley, abandoned the previous week after 69 minutes due to the referee pulling a hamstring, with McGee’s men leading 19-17, will be replayed on Saturday, March 18 at Rose Cottage – but only if it has to be with regards to promotion.