Emley Moor 29 Keighley Town 22 - Keighley Town went down fighting at Emley moor at the weekend.

They got off to a flying start, scoring after only the third tackle of the game. Stand-off Darren McNultty dummied his way through Emley's defence to sprint 35-yards to score out wide.

Their led was short-lived as Emley scored just as quick on the restart and tagging the two points on as well put them in front 6-4. After this both teams started to settle into the game and it wasn't until the 20 minute mark that Town broke the deadlock.

After some good build-up play by Town's pack of Joe Jeng, Dale Spencer and Rocky McNulty making good headway into Emleys half. This set it up for Chris Parker to score his debut try for the first team after Darren McNulty put him through a gap and take two Emley players over the line with him to give keighley an 8-6 lead.

The sides were evenly matched, Town's defence was doing a pretty good job at keeping Emley's big pack at bay and man of the match Daz Lynam was dictating play down the middle of the park using forwards Jeng, Barnes and Spencer and giving the backs McNulty, Kennedy and Stokes room to throw the ball around.

Emley were playing some good rugby as well and scored two tries within five minutes, to retake the lead at 16-8.

Town regained their composure and with full back tightened up the defence and before half time kicked two penalties which winger to make it 16-12 at the break.

The second half started off badly for Town, at the kick off Emley picked up the ball broke clear to score and added the touchline conversion to stretch their lead to 22-12.

Town started to close down Emley and slowly get back into the game. Hooker Quinton Snead was making devastating runs into the Emley defence from dummy half and scrum half Neil Kennedy ran 40 yards before being hauled down. A quick play of the ball saw Town make it to within two yards of the try line, and a good dummy pass by Quinton saw him power his way over the line for a Keighley try.

Billy McKay converted to put Town back into the game at 22-18. Andy Stokes scored Town's next try thanks to a well worked move with Darren McNulty to send him through Emley's defence and level the scores.

With 10 minutes left Emley kicked a field goal from 15 yards and with a converted try in the last couple of minutes took the game out of Town's reach.

n Town now face a tough task in Round Two of thje GMB Union National BARLA Cup after being drawn against Cumbrian side Wath Brow -- who have just beaten Workington in the Challenge Cup. They are curently top of Division Two of the Conference League and have only lost one game and are rated one of the top amateur teams in the country.

Keighley Albion are at home to St Joseph's Huddersfield in the quarter-final of the Pennine League President's Cup.

Silsden are away at Dudley Hill Eagles.

n BARLA agreed to join forces with the Rugby League in an historic move last Sunday.

Representatives voted 24-01 in favour of the move which unites the game under one governing body. Sport England had told the game it was only prepared to deal with one organisation in charge of a sport and the game risked missing out on substial grant aid if the move did not go ahead.

"It is a good mvoe in many ways but I just hope that the Rugby League does not let the amateur game down in the way it did before BARLA was established in 1973," said Keighley ARL chairman, Dave Ingham.