Keighley 24 Redcar 5
Keighley struggled at times to overcome bottom placed Redcar in a generally dour contest in which the ambitions of the players were too often stifled by a referee whose frequent use of the whistle and his back pocket led to a string of penalty awards and four yellow cards and one red.
The hosts were the first to incur the official's displeasure. Second row man Michael Feather was sent to the sin bin for persistent ball killing and off-side was committed by the pack in general as it defended against a robust start by the visitors which culminated in a try for No 8 Graham Evans from a rolling maul.
A break by centre Nigel Curr supported by winger Sam Walker soon took play close to the Redcar line, but the defence held out against some forceful play by the home pack.
Stand off Alex Brown was narrowly wide with a penalty goal attempt, but Keighley maintained the initiative against a side temporarily reduced to 14 men after the award of another yellow card.
Skipper Rob Ellis confirmed his value, after missing the two previous games, with two sparkling tries before half-time, both improved by Brown.
The first came from his determined 30-metre run through a somewhat reluctant defence and the second from a charge from ten metres out.
Redcar looked increasingly vulnerable against Keighley's strong running backs.
A touchline dart by Brown and good supporting play by flanker Will Armitage kept them on the attack. Walker was unlucky to be denied a try when he allegedly failed to ground the ball after a typically strong run. His frustration cost him ten minutes off the field, where he was soon followed by a visiting player.
A penalty goal by Brown added to Keighley's lead before they were, for a time, sucked into a forward tussle which played to the visitors' strengths. Even after Redcar prop Eddie Doi was dismissed for striking, the home pack struggled to contain a prolonged assault on the line before an interception by Walker relieved the situation.
There was thereafter no way back for the visitors and Brown completed the scoring when he touched down his own chip ahead before adding the conversion.
Two vital points were secured, albeit not entirely convincingly.
Despite of the tireless efforts of the Sugden brothers (Leigh and Oliver), Dave Pullen, Ellis and Rob Clarke up front and the fast emerging talents of backs Brown, Walker and Danny Lester there remains a sense of underachievement in a side which on its day is capable of matching any in the league.
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