Keighley Cougars 40-22 Hunslet RLFC
Hunslet fell short at Cougar Park today (25 August 2024) despite their rivals having a man sent off just before half time. The Parksiders were well in the game before the dismissal, but couldn’t press home their man advantage and now drop into fourth place in the Betfred League 1 with one game to go.
It all started so brightly for Hunslet who took the lead on the 5th minute. A loose ball was hacked forward by Jude Ferreira and recovered well. Quick hands to the right saw Mackenzie Turner score in the right corner and the visitors had the lead 0-4.
It had rained before kick-off and Keighley tested the skiddy surface with some tricky grubber kicks. One of these on the 9th minute was fumbled by Hunslet and Ellis Robson pounced to score. 4-4 and all square.
Both tries had come slightly against the run of play, but it was Hunslet who attacked next. A Matty Beharrell kick was caught by Jack Render but the big winger was tackled into touch. They didn’t make a mistake on the 15th minute though after Josh Jordan-Roberts scooped a loose ball and George Flanagan put Render over in the corner. Beharrell’s conversion making it 4-10
The score see-sawed and on 19 minutes former Hunslet man Adam Ryder profited from another low kick and a ricochet to score. Miller converting 10-10
Keighley were now starting to form some attacks, but Hunslet’s defence was solid. Then on the half hour mark everything changed when a scuffle broke out. The Referee sent Keighley’s Ben Blackmore off for a high tackle and Hunslet’s George Flanagan was sin-binned for retaliation.
With both sides a man down it was still even. Beharrell and O’Hanlon attacked for Hunslet, whilst Keighley forced a drop out after the ball stopped dead inches from the dead ball line and Jack Render couldn’t escape the oncoming defence.
But on 34 minutes Keighley struck. Quick hands to the left sent Billy Walkley over for a good try, before the killer blow came on the hooter. With the tackles wiped Mark Ioane forced his way over on the last tackle of the half. 22-10 but with a man advantage could Hunslet come back.
The second half started with Keighley knocking on from the kick-off, then Cougars influential full-back Brandon Pickersgill had to leave the field with an ankle injury. Hunslet attacked, but again Jack Render was denied in the corner by a last ditch tackle.
With the man advantage Hunslet were guilty of over-playing and on 47 minutes Jack Miller took two points for a high tackle to extend the home lead 24-10.
Although Jordan Syme was held up and Cam Berry went close Keighley’s defence held out and Hunslet started to lose discipline and tried plays that weren’t on. Matty Beharrell was caught high by Oscar Thomas and Keighley were now reduced to 11 men.
Mackenzie Turner went close and another kick to Jack Render was knocked-on. Hunslet just couldn’t prise an opening. Then on 66 minutes frustratingly after the ball bounced off a Hunslet man Billy Walkley found a gap to score for Keighley. 28-10.
Game over, or so we thought. The kick off found touch and from the restart George Flanagan dummied over to score 28-16, then after Ross Whitmore had gone close and Hunslet forced a drop-out Beharrell sent Jude Ferreira into a gap to stroll over and we were 28-22 with 7 minutes to go.
Hunslet attacked again but were adjudged to have tackled a man in the air right on the Cougars line. Keighley couldn’t find touch and Hunslet attacked again, but a knock-on let the Cougars off the hook and from the scrum Oscar Thomas raced 80 yards to wrap up the match. 34-22
Ellis Robson chalked another for Keighley on the hooter to end a frantic last 10 minutes, and it was Keighley that took the win 40-22.
Hunslet will feel this is one that got away, but ultimately if they beat Keighley in a play-off match this result will soon be forgotten. Hunslet have to win at Midlands next Saturday and hope Keighley can win at Rochdale on Sunday to secure third spot. In the end they will play Rochdale Hornets home or away on Sunday 8 September in their first play-off game.
Jack Render, Matty Beharrell and Josh Jordan-Roberts all played well, whilst Ethan Wood and Mackenzie Turner looked to have quickly settled in to the squad.
Keighley Cougars: Pickersgill, Blackmore, Ryder, Sa’u, Walkley, Thomas, Miller, Maher, Flanagan, Revell, Robson, Lynam, Brown, Bishop, Ioane, Parker, Schofield, Kesik.
Hunslet RLFC: Flanagan Jnr, Turner, Watson, Ferreira, Render, Knowles, Beharrell, Hallas, Whitmore, Fletcher, Jordan-Roberts, Wood, Syme, Berry, Wray, O’Hanlon, Coventry, Rhodes.
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