Job done. Beverley RUFC needed just two points to be certain of finishing as champions of North One East and they duly got them here. They were far from their best for most of this match but who cares.
Beverley simply raised their game when they needed to and despite a heroic effort by Keighley always looked the likely winners. Nothing should be taken away from Keighley who led for most of the first half and until late on were never completely out of it. It was just that they could never quite match the pace and firepower of the Beverley backs. It was little consolation perhaps but they at least had the satisfaction of scoring more points against Beverley than any other club has managed this season.
Keighley started strongly and it was soon clear that Beverley had a game on their hands up front where the home forwards retained possession well and drove forward relentlessly. They took the lead with a penalty by fly half Alex Brown in only the third minute and then continued to keep Beverley penned in their own half.
They moved the ball about well but rarely threatened the Beverley line. Beverley in contrast with less possession created the more chances with their superior speed and panache. Nathan Sharpe, David Worrall and Junior Tupai all made clean breaks only for clear try-scoring opportunities to founder through careless errors.
A catch and drive from a penalty lineout eventually brought a try for James Holland to put Beverley in front. After their slow start they at last looked to be on their way. Two more penalties by Brown however overturned the lead and yellow cards for Sam Kerry and Joe Picketts did not help. It was not until the stroke of halftime when Worrall rounded off some slick handling to touch down that Beverley again got their noses in front. Phil Duboulay converted to leave Beverley 12-9 ahead at the break. With the chances they had created the lead ought to have been greater.
In fact it was all square again early in the second half when Brown kicked his fourth penalty. After that Beverley did start to step up a gear as their superior fitness and flair began to tell. Richard Bussey and Tomasi Tanumi burst through to set up a try for Tupai, and Lee Birch with a mazy run from his own half threaded his way over to secure a four try bonus point. Duboulay converted both tries and it looked then as though Beverley would probably romp away.
Keighley however were not done. Two more penalties by Brown and a fine try from their lively winger Sam Walker brought them back to within three points at 26-23. But Beverley always looked capable of producing a killer punch if they needed to. They had the ability to create something out of nothing, which the home side could not do. Again they raised their game and Duboulay with a lovely break put Worrall over for his second try to take them two scores clear. Gavin Gibson then rounded it off with a twenty metre sprint to the line, Duboulay adding the conversion.
At the death winger Mike Philips went over in the corner for Keighley but by then Beverley RUFC had the game and the championship securely wrapped up. It was by no means a great performance but they got the win they wanted and they ran in six tries in the process.
You cannot argue with that. To have achieved a return to National League Three at the first attempt and in such convincing fashion is a fine achievement. Their success owes much to their Coach Anthony Posa who has not only engendered a fine team spirit but whose ambitious style of play has brought enormous pleasure to those who watch. To have rounded it all off in spring sunshine in the lovely setting of snow clad Pennine Hills was perhaps an added bonus.
Final Score : Keighley RUFC 28 Beverley RUFC 38 | Reported by John Nursey
