Beverley make most of Keighley mistakes to claim victory

It is their first defeat of the campaign and means they drop to third in the table.

Beverley started strongly and Keighley were soon penalised for offside, but the hosts missed the simple penalty.

The same scenario occurred at the other end on six minutes, except Alex Brown slotted home that penalty to give the visitors the lead.

Beverley’s ability to create fast ball from the breakdown was causing problems for the visitors and after prop Sam Booker produced a high tackle, the home side levelled the scores from the resulting penalty.

Keighley had two good chances, but wasted a tap penalty and a potential try-scoring pass to Oliver Snowden, instead quickly finding themselves on the back foot.

A series of forward drives close in caught Keighley offside, resulting in a yellow card for Max Wild and three points from the kicking tee for Beverley..

But on 25 minutes, Brown levelled the scores from a Keighley penalty with an excellent kick from the 10 metre line.

Alex Brown's goalkicking kept Keighley in the game during the first half. (Image: John Ashton.)

For the next few minutes Beverley had their best period of the first half and their incessant pressure led to another penalty and a further three points.

Keighley scrum half Nathan Pickles almost gifted the hosts an intercept try, but they botched the simple chance when their winger dropped the ball forward.

Another knock on with the try line in sight cost Beverley soon after, before Keighley got lucky with a careless pass close to their own line.

The half-time whistle could not come soon enough for Keighley, who were fortunate to be only 9-6 down at the break.

The second half started with an immediate improvement from Keighley and they quickly took the lead.

After securing their own ball from the kick off, good hands through the backs took the ball to Taylor Prell, who split the home defence before releasing scrum half Pickles to score an excellent try, which converted by Alex Brown.

But a superb kick out of defence released the subsequent pressure on Beverley, as it crept over the touchline just inside the Keighley 22 metre line, giving the hosts the throw in.

The line out was worked to the far right and back again, before great handling took the ball back to the right winger who crossed for the home team’s first try, the conversion being missed.

Shortly after the restart, Keighley were yet again penalised and a superb penalty kick gave the hosts a five-metre line out.

They comfortably secured their own throw and drove the ensuing ruck over the line to score again, the conversion being missed.

Beverley then pounced on a badly-worked Keighley lineout and a period of strong attacking rugby saw the ball moved to centre field, where the home team broke through a stretched defence to score a converted try.

Keighley could not keep out their rampant hosts by this point and when Brown lost possession from an attempted chip over the defence, a superb backs move saw the ball reach the hands of the Beverley right winger who cut inside, evading the final two defenders to score under the posts.

That try was converted to put the hosts 33-13 in front, with Keighley’s miserable afternoon soon compounded further.

They were close to a score in the right corner, but a dropped pass saw the ball hacked forward three times by head coach and captain Rob Smith.

He won the footrace against Ben Stead to score an outstanding individual try close to the posts, the conversion moving Beverley 40-13 in front.

Ben Stead is a pacey player, but even he could not keep up with the outstanding Rob Smith, whose outstanding individual try in the second half put the game completely out of Keighley's reach. (Image: John Ashton.)

With less than 10 minutes remaining, the visitors finally started to play their usual brand of attacking rugby.

Late tries from Jak Adams, Prell and Stead, one of which was converted by Brown, at least gave Keighley a bonus point, as they fell to a 40-30 defeat

Keighley have handed Dinnington a walkover in the Yorkshire Shield this Saturday, but after this weekend off, they host leaders North Ribblesdale on November 2, which could be a defining game in the race for promotion.