Draw is great leap for plucky Keighley (From Keighley News)

Draw is great leap for plucky Keighley

11:19am Thursday 20th September 2012 in Sport

Nevison Leap 16 Keighley 16

Keighley had a tough encounter at last season’s Yorkshire League champions Nevison Leap in Pontefract and came away with a share of the spoils.

The home side set off with the intention of moving the ball and almost opened the scoring within the first minute, a poor pass helping Keighley out.

This became a theme for Leap, strong running being negated by sloppy passing when it mattered most.

However, Nevison Leap took the lead following good handling across the line, poor defence on Keighley’s right-hand side allowing the home winger to cross the line out wide.

Keighley made good inroads into the home side’s half but could not break the line.

One raid did lead to a break by Kyle Akrigg with the full back to beat. He off-loaded the ball to the supporting Rick Barr but the pass was too far in front of him and was knocked on.

Soon after, scrum half Callum Hudson took on the Nevison line and was stopped just short.

From the resulting play-the-ball, however, Danny Snowdon crashed over, Hudson’s goal putting Keigh-ley in front.

Nevison rallied after this and started to weaken the Keighley defence but not score.

However, it was again poor defence on Keighley’s right edge that allowed the hosts to cross the line out wide, the extras again being missed.

At 8-6 behind, Keighley created some chances but could not cross and it was the home side who cash-ed in again just before the break by the side of the posts, making the conversion easy.

Down 14-6 at the break, Keighley found better form and dominated field position, with Danny Snowden and Shaun Metcalfe leading the way with some strong running, helped by good vision from Ricky Leatham and Barr in putting players through gaps.

One great play from Leatham running at the line put Snowdon away for his second try, although Hudson missed the goal.

Keighley’s defence was far better in the second half and kept the home side tryless.

In attack, the visitors kept Nev-son on the back foot with some quick play-the-balls, one of which led to hooker Danny Barrett scooting over from 15 metres, James Young’s goal putting the visitors 16-14 ahead near full-time.

But Keighley made a big error working out of their 20-metre area, Young kicking the ball out on the full.

That gave Nevison a penalty in front of the posts, which they kick-ed to level the scores.

With time almost up, Keighley got in field position for a drop-goal attempt which Young missed.

This was a game that could have been won by Keighley if some decisions had gone their way but on the whole it will be a hard place for visitors to come away with a victory.

Keighley are at home against Knottingley Rockware on Satur-day (2.30).