Saturday 6th October 2001
National Conference Division 2
Normanton Knights 18 Keighley Albion 8

Albion were guilty of throwing another great chance of victory away, and as a consequence languish at the foot of Conference Division Two. For long periods they completely dominated the home side , but as so often this season thirty minutes good work was undone with five minutes of madness.

Albion failed to control the ball consistently all afternoon, and both home tries in the first half came directly from handling errors.   They gifted Normanton a second minute lead, a fumble allowing home prop Kevin Price to crash over unopposed.

Gradually though Albion got their act together and stole the lead when Chris Hogg raced 80 metres to touch down, Danny Horne converting.
The ammount of good possesion and field position Albion had they should have extended their lead, but they were guilty of trying too hard, anxiety crept into their game and chance after chance went begging.

The nearest the Keighley side came to a try was when a superb run and offload by man of the match Steve Wrench nearly sent Craig Morphet over, instead the Albion skipper was hauled down inches short of the line.

Normanton gained a shock lead just before the break. They weathered another Albion attack, to race downfield, Albion scrambled superbly to regain possesion then a wayward pass to no-one on the away line was pounced upon by Paul Seal, who will never score an easier try in his life, suddenly somehow Albion were behind at the break 8-6.

The second half was worse, Albions discipline collapsed completely, and two Seal penalties made easier by backchatting kept the home side in front. All Albion could manage was a Horne penalty, and salt was really rubbed into their wounds when in the dying seconds home winger Lee Riddell went in for a converted try.

Albion face high flying Hunslet Warriors at Cougar Park on Saturday(k.o. 2-30) .
Keith Reeves

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