Yorkshire Shield semi-final: Keighley 16 Bradford & Bingley 20

THIS competitive derby may have resulted in the return to form of centre Richard Tafa as Bradford & Bingley reached next Sunday's final against West Leeds.

However, it is likely that Yorkshire Division Two runners-up Keighley took more positives away from a contest that they lost, chief of which is that they look as if they can compete in Yorkshire One next season.

Tafa, whose season has been decimated by illness, scored all but five of the Bees' points via a try, two penalties and two conversions, lock Brett Mitchell getting their other try on the back of a Tafa break.

But Keighley, who were hit by the eve-of-match withdrawal of centre Adam Horsfall (virus), pushed their Aire Valley rivals all the way, scoring the last eight points as they strove for another clash with Yorkshire Two champions West Leeds, who defeated Pontefract 48-20 in the other semi-final at Blue Hill Lane.

Keighley had the better of the opening sorties but found themselves 3-0 down to a tenth-minute Tafa penalty before Keighley fly half Alex Brown replied in kind three minutes later.

Tafa then picked the ball up one-handed off the floor and, hiding it behind him, shot through a gap to put the Bees 8-3 ahead in the 19th minute, adding the conversion himself.

Bradford & Bingley's replacement hooker Masui Akauola was lucky to get away without at least a word from referee Mike Hurdley (West Yorkshire Society) for a barge on the floor, and it needed good defence by winger Jack Atkinson and later by Brown, who intercepted while loitering in the visitors' line, to foil the Bees, Brown's kick downfield resulting in a yellow card for visitor Greg Whately for killing the ball.

While the flanker was off the field, Keighley winger Sam Walker burst through for a try in the 35th minute, home skipper Will Armitage then being sin-binned for an accumulation of team penalties just before half-time, the resulting Tafa kick giving Bradford & Bingley a 13-8 lead.

Big hits by Keighley's replacement prop Ollie Sugden and Tafa got the crowd going early in the second half, and the latter broke away in the 51st minute before passing into touch, but made amends a minute later with a break that led to skipper Mitchell planting the ball on the line.

Tafa's conversion made it 20-8 but, apart from more than capable makeshift centre Alastair MacDonald being denied a try in the right-hand corner, Keighley held sway in the final 25 minutes.

Brown hit the far post with a penalty in the 55th minute after Cummins was penalised for holding on, and four minutes later kicked for touch deep in Bradford & Bingley territory when some thought he should have gone for goal.

In the end, left winger Luke Carter spilled a hard Brown pass and the attack came to nought.

However, No 8 Josh Hannah's decision to break blind from a scrum in the 74th minute was a good one, and full back Rob Wilkinson was in support to touch down.

Although Brown missed the conversion from near the touchline, Keighley did reduce the deficit to four points via a Ben Blackwell penalty three minutes later after Bees lock Harry Jeffrey was penalised for holding on after becoming isolated.

Keighley, who missed seven points off the kicking tee, had no chance to snatch victory but they had played a full part in an excellent derby that seemed to strengthen the case for the teams to meet annually, either on Boxing Day or in a pre-season friendly.

Bradford & Bingley's director of rugby Martin Whitcombe said: "Richard Tafa has had an horrendous time with illness (it was only his fourth first-team game of the season), and it is a miracle that he is even playing rugby again, but he was the outstanding player on the field.

"I was also proud of our half-backs Sam Jeffries and James Pinder but Keighley are a great club and they played some great rugby.

"They have a good set of coaches, a good ethos and I think they will do well next season."

Veteran Tafa said: "I am shattered but it is great to be playing rugby again and we will see what happens next season."

Keighley's head coach Danny McGee said: "I was very proud of all of our players, and the ones that came in did not let us down in any way.

"Adam has been trying to shake off a virus and we found out on Friday night that he would not be playing but Allan Ebbrell did an excellent job in his stead, and we were also missing key men in Hamish Pratt and Leigh Sugden.

"We have had a great season but we will learn from this, and it isn't always easy to decide when to kick at goal or when to go for the corner. Even England have found that out."

Bradford & Bingley's final is at West Park Leeds next Sunday (3.30) and will follow the Yorkshire Silver Trophy final (1.30) between Thornensians, 26-14 conquerors of Goole, and Wetherby, who won 22-14 at Northallerton.