Yarnbury 18

Keighley 3

It would have been easy to have given up on Yarnbury's hopes of survival in Yorkshire Division One at the end of January.

After all, the Horsforth club had won only three of their first 14 matches in what is undoubtedly the most competitive of the Yorkshire divisions.

But a run of three wins in four matches has really closed things up at the bottom of the table.

And, although the 133-year-old club are still bottom with four games to go, they are now only a win away from overhauling both Dinnington and Huddersfield YMCA.

Yarnbury are at YMCA next Saturday and they entertain Din-nington on April 2, and Yarnbury coach Bob Hood said: "Remember-ing that results in this division can go bananas, two more wins might see us safe, and our form has been quite good since Christmas.

"And, from what I have heard, YMCA are in freefall because their coach has walked out on them and their captain has a broken arm." Apart from a biting wind, there was also hail and snow at times during this derby.

But the weather and the soggy pitch - the match was called off the previous weekend because the pitch was waterlogged - didn't prevent Yarnbury from producing tries from the three slickest pieces of handling of the whole afternoon.

Full back Ray Wong exchanged passes with John Bramham down the right to put the winger over in the 13th minute, and five minutes later sound ball movement gave left winger Simon Threlfall a half- chance which he took by going in from inside his own half.

And, just as Keighley were threatening a comeback, Bram-ham was in again from more superior handling in the 54th minute.

The trusty left boot of fly half Steve Galbraith put the hosts ahead as early as the third minute, and while Yarnbury tried to make ground via crash ball through the centre, Keighley relied on the kicking of their fly half Richard Cavender.

Behind 13-0, it took Keighley until the 22nd minute to wake from their slumbers, and they were rewarded with a Cavender penalty.

Galbraith was short with a long-range reply in the 31st minute, but Yarnbury were on the back foot in the early stages of the second half.

There was more intent from Keighley after the break and they almost scored from a concerted attack in the 43rd minute, scrum half Scott Amos being one of two players to go close to a try.

Then visiting No 8 Peter Schofield had to be helped off with a leg injury, Stuart Inman replacing him.

Replacement fly half Johnny Harrison came on with the weather at its worst in a bid to give Keighley a boost in the final 20 minutes, but too often they were operating in their own 22.

The match became scrappier as it neared its conclusion and referee John Wolstenholme from Don-caster must have been glad to get to the end without having to brandish a card.

"We deserved to win," said Hood. "Our forwards were in charge, apart from the line-outs, and our defence was very sound.

"Also we scored three tries from moving the ball, which wasn't easy in those conditions."

Amos said: "We didn't play well enough consistently and lacked cohesion in the forwards.

"We had won our previous three league matches, but we struggled in the scrum, and when we had the ball in the backs we were standing a bit too flat.

"If we had won here I think we would have been safe from any danger of relegation. We still need one more win."