Yorkshire Division Four: Skipton 14 Halifax Vandals 27

FOUR yellow cards derailed Skipton’s efforts to get their Yorkshire Division Four campaign back on track but they should not be too dismayed as they showed some excellent passages of play.

Luke Stockton, Jonny Gane and Jamie Donnelly returned to Skipton's squad, and they made a good start with an early try from winger Matty Langstaff.

Fly half Donnelly added the extras but could not convert a penalty after the hosts had been awarded a series of penalties for infringements and back chat to referee Jeff Hudson.

Two high tackles and a further altercation with the referee led to a yellow card for the visitors – the first of many to be issued, with the home side ultimately paying dearly for their sin-binnings.

Vandals then began to dominate in the front row, forcing Skipton to concede a penalty for collapsing.

This, followed by two further penalties for a high tackle and offside, pinned Skipton in their 22.

However, superb handling by Langstaff gave the hosts the advantage from the scrum, and a kick downfield by Donnelly caught the Halifax full back unawares.

A good chase by Langstaff put Stockton over in the corner, and Donnelly converted to establish a 14-0 lead.

The visitors came back with a vengeance but solid defence kept them at bay until Langstaff (deliberate knock-on), Liam Jordan and, a minute later, Jon Currie received yellow cards, the home spectators being confused over the second and third sin-binnings.

With a three-man advantage, the visitors took advantage of the weakened scrum to secure a converted pushover try just before half-time.

Leading 14-7, Skipton were still severely disadvantaged in the second half but dogged work by wing-forward Charlie Brown forced a turnover, and the home forwards worked the ball upfield, using up the minutes until they were back to full strength.

Despite excellent scrummaging by skipper Chris Sheenan, a penalty to Vandals put the hosts back into their 22, and a catch and drive by the visitors from the line-out put their forwards over for a second converted try to level the scores.

The Skipton forwards made an emphatic reply through Stockton, prop Chris Wright and Jordan, culminating in a scrum against the head by Sheenan, but loose handling put Skipton back down the pitch again.

From a five-metre scrum, Vandals went over for a further converted try.

Skipton’s fourth yellow card for what seemed the most innocuous of offences left the home crowd open-jawed in disbelief, and penalty after penalty in the visitors' favour followed, two of which were converted to give a final score of 27-14.