Keighley hammer West Leeds as veterans still show sparkle

The centre, who scored two tries in the 45-11 home victory over West Leeds that kept them on the coat-tails of fellow unbeaten team North Ribblesdale in Counties One Yorkshire, revealed: “I took a step back last season, but when rugby has been most of your life you can’t stay away.

“I play with a great group of lads and wanted to come back down and do another year.”

Kelly, who is managing knee and calf injuries and didn’t do much pre-season training, admitted: “It is getting harder every year but we are best mates and you just want to be around them.”

Defeating West Leeds by such a margin was much easier than in 2023-24 as they have lost nine first-team squad members since the end of last season.

They are also missing eight props throughout the club and have lost all six of their league matches this campaign.

As for his own side, former Keighley Cougar Kelly said: “We have added George Altham at prop and one or two other lads, but we have kept the same structure.

“Basic rugby won us the game here in the first half, and the pack was unbelievable, particularly Max Wild, but in the second half we got a bit scrappy.

“The ball was greasy because of the rain (Keighley’s pitch is artificial) but it isn’t covered in mud and it doesn’t change the way that we play.

“We have about 105 years in the middle of the pitch with Alex Brown and Adam Horsfall too, but all three of us will keep going and we are a close-knit group.”

Like Alex Brown and Sean Kelly, Adam Horsfall is defying his age and body to produce top performances for Keighley. (Image: John Ashton.)

As for the rest of the season, Kelly said: “We would like to push for promotion, having fallen just short in the past two or three seasons.”

On an afternoon of heavy showers and, belatedly, some sunshine, the match started with the floodlights piercing the gloom, and it soon became obvious that the visitors would struggle in the line-outs, losing five of their first six due to errant throws.

Sam Blakeley almost went over on the right for Keighley, but the pass to him was poor, but they took the lead in the opposite corner after eight minutes via Kelly.

West Leeds soon hit back with a penalty by fly half Connor McGill from just outside the 22 in a central position.

The hosts then cashed in on a ball bouncing off a West Leeds player’s chest in the 17th minute, Kelly running all the way from midfield to under the posts.

Brown’s easy conversion made it 12-3, who then ran in from distance himself three minutes later after a show and go, adding another comfortable two points.

Kelly was then pulled up for a high tackle in midfield after 23 minutes, McGill nailing the penalty to make it 19-6.

Taylor Prell got the bonus-point try for Keighley four minutes later, Brown adding the extras.

Taylor Prell has been bang in form for Keighley this season, and he had a particularly inspired few minutes just before half-time against West Leeds on Saturday. (Image: John Ashton.)

The former has been on fire for Keighley this season and it was his quick thinking that got them another try in the 36th minute, Wild being the beneficiary from a swift line-out with a try on the left.

Brown converted that score to make it 33-6 to Keighley at the break.

In the second half, West Leeds lost hooker and captain Lewis Bromley with a cut to the forehead in the 53rd minute and lock Jordan Yaxley got Keighley’s sixth try on the hour mark after a high-tackle ruling against West Leeds by referee Richard Smith.

Keighley replacement John Gibson received a yellow card for the same reason in the 64th minute before Yaxley bagged his second try seven minutes later, Brown tagging on the extras.

West Leeds, who lost centre Sam Marshall to an ankle injury in the 77th minute, never gave up and got the last try via winger Danny Booth a minute later after a chip over the top was badly mishandled by Keighley, allowing the softest of scores.

Second-placed Keighley are at eighth-placed Beverley this Saturday.