Castleford Panthers u15s 26

Keighley Albion u15s 18

KEIGHLEY Albion Under-15s began life in Division Three with a narrow defeat against a Castleford Panthers who they have not faced for three years.

After losing a number of personnel in the off-season, Albion started off slow with the team failing to react to a knock-on and allowing the opposition’s full-back to go in almost unopposed in the corner.

Gradually getting into the game, Albion got close to the line and Lewis Bloodworth continued his try-scoring form, after a double in pre-season at Birkenshaw, by barrelling over from close range, with Harrison Clamp superbly converting from out wide. Despite being on top Albion’s unforced error rate was all too high, giving the hosts' field position to post two further unconverted tries to lead by six at the break.

Coming up the slight hill, Albion forever seemed to be in their own half with Castleford’s good set completion and Albion errors accounting for this.

But again after a mistake Albion, showed a serious lack of game awareness by not playing to the whistle and almost watching the oppositions full-back coast through to cross again.

Albion hit a purple patch when first Billy Lee crashed onto the ball 60 metres out, broke the line before outpacing the cover defence to score under the posts, with Clamp converting.

Not long after some good momentum gave Bloodworth space to run from acting half and he wrestled his way through a number of tackles to score, with Clamp’s conversion tying up the scores.

Just as it seemed Albion would go onto win the game, another mistake led to a scrum, Albion failed to number up, and the pacy loose forward stretched the lead out to four.

Now needing another score unfortunately poor ball control, gave the host field position and cross-field kick was collected to confirm the Panthers win.

Albion will know the key to success this year will be to reduce the errors, many of them unforced, which were well into double figures.

Lee, Reece Smollen and Clamp were picked out by the opposition as Albion’s best performers.

Keighley Albion u15s, (school year 10) are on the lookout for new players to bolster their playing squad.

Experience of other contact team sports, such as football or rugby union is desirable however anybody interested is more than welcome to come and give it a go. Call Gav Wild on 07891311251 for further details.