Derby signals return of the good old days

In many ways this Christmas Saturday derby was a throwback to BCCC - before the Courage Clubs Championship - rather than BC - Before Christ.

One of the more traditional festive clashes has, like so many others, suffered since the introduction of leagues and has survived only in a watered-down version.

But this was more like the old days as Salem and Baildon ran off some holiday cobwebs to settle the kind of local argument that must have pleased people like Salem's first-team manager Paul Rae and former Baildon president Frank Guyers, who have been pushing for a genuine first-team clash for several years.

Salem, as befits their Yorkshire Division Two status, fielded only six first-teamers, while Baildon also gave chances to some of their second team.

But even though there was the odd shabby moment on view, including several melees, the most important thing was that the match was played with some 21 first-team squad members on view.

And Baildon were disappointed not to have won it, fly half Nick Lister missing a penalty from straight in front in the 48th minute that would have given them a 15-14 triumph.

"It is always disappointing not to win, even if it is a club match," admitted Baildon's skipper Phil Wilson.

"But we were missing Chris Smithies, Dave Hemming and a couple of others and we have all played well and never stopped trying. Also we were able to give debuts to Pete Lowth and 17-year-old Chris Peel."

Baildon's player-coach Hugh Gumbs said: "It was a really good game and we should have kicked that penalty and won it, but I am annoyed that we put so much pressure on Nick Lister's boot - we should have won it by other means.

"But we were delighted that we gave Salem such a tough game yet fielded so many young players."

However, Salem also benefited from the run-out, and no-one more so than hooker Simon Markey, who continued his comeback after ten months out with a ruptured hamstring and groin trouble.

He said: "It is coming on and, although it wasn't the pace of a Yorkshire Division Two fixture, I am ready to go into the first-team squad, whether it be on the bench or straight into the team. Craig Buxton, who has been hooking, is carrying a shoulder injury and might need a rest."

Markey was impressed with the display from Salem's Paul Dobson, who has been converted to No 8 having played centre in the second-team.

In what was at times a rumbustious affair, props Mark Smith (Salem) and Marcus Payne (Baildon) being yellow-carded after a dust-up, along with Baildon hooker Paul Watson (deliberate knock-on), the hosts led 8-0 at half-time through a penalty and a try by impressive fly half Richard Langhorn.

Lister also missed a penalty in the first half, but Baildon did score the only tries. Flanker Nick Murphy got on the end of a break by scrum half James Dawson down the right-hand in the 54th minute, Lister converting and Langhorn added penalties (58th and 70th minutes), the latter giving them the lead after Dawson's 66th-minute try in the left-hand corner.