KEIGHLEY conceded three tries and two conversions in the final eight minutes of their home match against Beverley last weekend.

However, Rose Cottage skipper Alex Brown reckons that they would not have been chasing the game as hard if they had cashed in on their earlier opportunities.

He said: "Beverley were the better side but if we had taken our chances it could have quite different and we would not have been forcing things so much."

Keighley lost No 8 Rob Baldwin with a back injury and Rob Wilkinson with a thigh injury at the interval.

"It was only 10-3 at half-time, and the injuries didn't help, but it is not an excuse," said Brown.

"The breakdown was also a key area, and Beverley were good there, but it still boils down to those missed chances.

"Also the scrum and line-out are important, and you have to be good in both of those to compete in Yorkshire Division One, and we were better there than the previous weekend."

While being tenth in the table rates as a disappointing start to the campaign, Brown is not worrying about where Keighley are going to end up.

He said: "I am not thinking about where we will be in March.

"I am just concentrating on us getting ourselves prepared for the home match against North Ribblesdale a week on Saturday - in other words taking things game by game."

Keighley should have been at Redcar on Saturday in the first round of the Yorkshire Shield.

However, the Durham & Northumberland Division One strugglers (they are bottom with only one win from six matches) have conceded the tie as they cannot raise a side.

Now Keighley will host Middlesbrough, who are currently only two places above them in Yorkshire One, in the quarter-finals on Saturday, November 18.

"It is a home tie, which is good for revenue, and we are looking forward to it," said Brown.