CARL Patterson was on his knees towards the end of last Saturday's Yorkshire Silver Trophy semi-final at Baildon after taking what looked like a blow to the head.

Minutes later, however, the experienced fly half was smiling and reflecting on Skipton's 29-22 victory.

Patterson, who played for Yarnbury at HQ in a 20-13 RFU Junior Vase final defeat to Newent in 2014, said: "I am getting too old for this - I am 38 next month - but I want to win this competition so that we can enter the RFU Junior Vase next season and then retire at Twickenham."

Skipton, who scored three tries in the opening ten minutes, were guided around the field by Patterson, with the visitors utilising strong-running centre Jon Currie and elusive full back Matthew Langstaff as they kept Baildon at bay.

Skipton's former Baildon coach Dave Duxbury said: “We probably won it in the first ten minutes, but the try just before half-time was also crucial.

"We had a good 20-minute session at Skipton before setting off, and initially we showed all that was good about Yorkshire Division Four and then all that was bad about Yorkshire Division Four, and Baildon probably did the same regarding Yorkshire Division Three."

Skipton’s former Keighley full back Langstaff added: “Dave Duxbury brings us structure and organisation as a coach, just as he had with Baildon, and we all know our game-plan and we all respect him.

"He notices things about players as well, such as some players being in the second team when he arrived but now they are in the first team because he saw something in them."

The final scoreline was a bit flattering towards Baildon, who scored a converted try at the death to bring the margin back to seven points.

Try scorers for Skipton were winger Joshua Smith, centre Jamie Barker and Langstaff, with Patterson converting two as Baildon were blown away in the first ten minutes.

After Patterson had added a penalty in the 27th minute to make it 22-5, Smith got his second try in first-half stoppage time, Patterson's conversion making it 29-5.

Skipton then had to play up the Jenny Lane slope, but coped more comfortably than Baildon, conceding tries in the 45th and 62nd minutes to winger Luke Strauss and then six minutes into stoppage time to full back Matty Robinson, with JJ O'Connell adding the conversion.

Right winger Ricky Powell had got Baildon's first-half try.

The final is earmarked for May as Knottingley and Leeds Corinthians don't play their quarter-final until Wednesday, April 5, with Old Otliensians awaiting the winners on Saturday, April 29.