Burley 15 Skipton 14

YORKSHIRE Four leaders Skipton suffered their first league defeat since November 2015 by the narrowest of margins at Burley.

The home side kicked off down the slope and imposed early pressure. The visitors' stand-off Carl Patterson responded with a penalty into the corner. A rolling maul developed from the line-out but a loose pass and interception by Burley put them back down field.

Skipton worked their way back up the field with good forward play and a further penalty for Burley not rolling away put them into the corner again.

Once again no points resulted from the line-out, a pattern which was to be repeated all afternoon. Skipton secured two more line-outs in the corner in quick succession, followed by a scrum 10 yards out, from which the ball went quickly down the back line but the last pass was not taken, Burley intercepted and were down field again.

The home side secured the first try under the posts from a well-worked backs move. Their stand-off had no trouble adding the extra points.

From the re-start, Burley gained a penalty for a Skipton high tackle which they converted to stretch their lead to 10-0. Patterson responded with another long-range penalty into the corner and from the line-out a crash ball put winger Hamish Munro over but the ball was adjudged to have been held up.

Munro was back in action a few minutes later as the ball went down the back line from a Skipton scrum but he just couldn't get to the last pass from full-back Matty Langstaff and a try went begging.

Just before half-time Patterson put yet another penalty kick into the corner and this time the Skipton forwards used the rolling maul to good effect, putting Tom Craven over for an unconverted try.

Skipton used the advantage of the slope in the second half but the points were slow in coming. Coach Dave Duxbury brought Colt Tom Harrison and winger Josh Smith on, replacing Mal Wilshire and Jon Currie.

Ben Brearley replaced his brother Sam at scrum-half and Skipton then gained two penalties in quick succession for Burley not rolling away and playing the ball from an offside position. Patterson converted both and Skipton took the lead at 11-10.

A Burley prop then received a yellow card for persistent handling on the ground and Patterson converted the resultant penalty to make it 14-10.

The travelling supporters began to breath a little easier but it was to be short lived. Burley gained three successive penalties on Skipton's line. Despite tremendous defensive work the pressure eventually began to tell with Craven receiving a yellow card. Burley capitalised with an unconverted try in the corner to take the lead.

All seemed lost for the visitors until Burley conceded a penalty on the stroke of full-time for not releasing. In the gathering gloom, Patterson's kick hit the post and bounced wide leaving the away supporters with much to reflect upon.