Keighley go top as Lynam sparkles (From Keighley News)

Keighley go top as Lynam sparkles

9:55am Thursday 27th September 2012 in Sport

Keighley 36 Knottingley Rockware 16 Josh Lynam grabbed a brace of tries in a man-of-the-match performance which saw Keighley go top of the table in a niggly affair against Knottingley Rockware.

Stand-off Kyle Akrigg got Keighley off the mark first with a jinking run past three would-be tacklers and Kris Gott happily converted to make the score 6-0.

Both teams tried to put their stamp on the game with good defence from both sides.

It was Knottingley who levelled the scores with their prop crashing over from close range. Knottingley then took the lead when they created an overlap out wide to score in the corner to make it 10-6.

The last ten minutes of the first half saw a player from both sides sin-binned.

Keighley tightened up their defence with good defensive work by young Jamie Stephenson and Shaun Metcalfe. Richard Black-burn kicked on the last tackle and a good chase by Ricky Leatham saw him tackle the Knottingley full back and drive him over the try line where he dropped the ball and Leatham dived on it for Keighley’s second try.

Blackburn kicked the goal to take the home side in front 12-10 at the break.

The second half saw Keighley take control of the game with some great defensive work by the pack – Danny Snowden, Rick Barr, Steve Wrench, Lynam and Danny Lunn pinning Knotting-ley in their own half for long periods.

It paid off, with hooker Danny Barrett diving over from close range to extend Keighley’s lead, the conversion by Gott making it 18-10.

Both teams went back down to 12 men for a second time before it was the turn of Lynam to crash over for his first try after a great run. Gott’s extras made it 24-10. Keighley extended their lead even further when second row stalwart Lunn supported Rick Barr, who put him into space to score under the posts.

It didn’t look like Knottingley were going to score in the second half but they intercepted a pass out wide for a consolation try to make it 30-16.

But Lynam had the last word, scoring his second try with a few minutes left on the clock.

Gott added the conversion as Keighley went a point clear at the top ahead of a group of three sides, including Bank Top Harriers, who they visit on Saturday.