Keighley Academy 19 Old Otliensians 29

WITH Halloween just around the corner, Keighley Academy did not want to produce their own horror show – but things didn't start well as they lost influential forward Martin Curr during warm-up with a continuing hamstring problem.

And things didn't end well either as they lost the impressive Henry Pratt with a broken collarbone in injury time.

A young, well-drilled Otliensians opened the scoring on eight minutes with a try under the sticks and an easy conversion.

The hosts hit back after a good break from Liam Everett, Henry Shoesmith scoring a superb solo try after selling a nice dummy to fool the defence and Micky Phillips converting to make it 7-7.

However, a lapse in concentration created a gap which the away team took full advantage of with their second converted try to regain their lead .

Keighley missed a penalty before Phillips got on the scoresheet with a well-worked try after good work from Nathan Berry.

A try-saving tackle in the corner from man of the match Pratt prevented the visitors hitting back but, on 36 minutes, Otliensians went 17-12 up with a penalty.

However, livewire Shoesmith and Liam Everett ran the angles perfectly for Everett to hit the gap and race through to score under the posts and convert, giving Keighley a well-earned half-time lead of 19-17.

In the second half Otliensians capitalised on a Keighley mistake to race 70 metres to score a converted try.

The hosts continued to enjoy some good spells of pressure, with Ben Lazenby dominating the line-outs, but they couldn't convert them into points.

Instead it was Otliensians who capitalised against a tired Keighley defence to close the scoring with an unconverted try.

This was a much-improved team performance from Keighley, which hopefully can continue as the Academy travel to Cleckheaton on Saturday.