KEIGHLEY COUGARS 16 DEWSBURY RAMS 26
EMMA KENNEDY, Rose Cottage, Wednesday
TOM DELANEY starred as Dewsbury snapped their five-match losing streak at Keighley.
The winger scored four of his side’s five tries in the rearranged match, switched to be played at Keighley Rugby Union Club after the Cougar Park pitch was deemed unfit for the second time this month.
Keighley, winless since mid-May, had hoped to end their home campaign on a high, but despite largely dominating both territory and possession, were guilty of both desperate passes and overplaying their hand.
New recruits Logan Blacker and Joe Thompson – on loan from Huddersfield Giants and Hull KR respectively – were handed starts by Dewsbury, the latter not looking out of place on his professional debut.
Just two points had separated the sides in the reverse fixture back in February, and it again proved to be a game of fine margins.
The hosts were rocked when Lachlan Lanskey suffered a head knock just seconds into the match, with his replacement Emmanuel Waine, who picked up a knock in the loss to Workington, then lasting just five minutes before having to be withdrawn for Will Groves.
It was perhaps little surprise that Dewsbury opened the scoring with seven minutes on the clock, with Delaney handed a walk-in at the left corner after Thompson was stopped just short of the line. Louie Walker added the first of three goals.
Keighley looked for a swift response, with Oliver Whitford tackled into touch on halfway before a short goal-line drop-out fell in their favour, only for a scruffy pass to let the visitors off the hook.
Delaney instead extended Dewsbury’s lead just after the quarter-hour, profiting from a neat show of hands to dive over out wide for his second.
The hosts continued to threaten, and after winning a penalty, consecutive repeat sets and a goal-line drop-out, the Rams’ defence was finally breached in the 25th minute, Connor Sayner surging through a gap to add his name to the scoresheet.
But after Keighley had cheaply given up possession, Dewsbury eked out their lead again four minutes later, Delaney collecting a looping pass and driving for the line before finding Blacker on his inside to score.
The Cougars again responded, Matty Beharrell’s chip bouncing kindly off the astroturf into the arms of Max Clarke, who twisted his way over the whitewash to reduce the deficit to 14-10 at the break.
Dewsbury, who lost Blacker to a HIA on the stroke of half-time, started the second half on the back foot, with Jack Teanby held up over the line before a knock-on thwarted a promising Keighley move.
But they soon settled back into their rhythm, Walker adding a penalty goal before his sublime dummy and delayed cut-out pass set up Delaney for his hattrick.
The pick of the tries came with 15 minutes remaining, Delaney picking off a cross-field kick before racing the length of the pitch to score his fourth and open up a commanding 26-10 lead.
Keighley had the final word through Clarke, who burst through a gap on the left edge before grounding the ball behind the posts, but that proved nothing more than a mere consolation.
GAMESTAR: Tom Delaney scored four of Dewsbury’s five tries, including a fine length-of-the-field effort, also providing the assist for Logan Blacker’s score.
GAMEBREAKER: Delaney’s long-range try opened a 26-10 lead for Dewsbury with 15 minutes remaining.
MATCHFACTS
COUGARS
1 Connor Sayner
2 Brad Holroyd
4 Max Clarke
18 Oliver Whitford
22 Waldimar Matahwa
23 Brandon Pickersgill
7 Matty Beharrell
11 Jack Teanby
9 Oli Burton
39 Marcus Green
12 Lachlan Lanskey
21 Alfie Dean
11 Lucas Green
Subs (all used)
35 Will Groves
8 Dan Parker
19 Jordan Schofield
33 Emmanuel Waine
Tries: Sayner (25), Clarke (36, 72)
Goals: Beharrell 2/3
RAMS
21 Logan Blacker
5 Liam Copland
27 Connor Carr
4 George Senior
2 Tom Delaney
6 Dan Coates
19 Louie Walker
8 Luke Nelmes
31 Joseph Thompson
18 Jack Briggs
23 Brad Graham
15 Jacob Bateman
35 Danny Addy
Subs (all used)
16 Louis Collinson
17 Harvey Roberts
26 Paul Sykes
28 Jacob Algar
Tries: Delaney (7, 17, 56, 65), Blacker (29)
Goals: Walker 3/6
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-10, 6-10, 6-14, 10-14; 10-16, 10-22, 10-26, 16-26.
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Cougars: Max Clarke; Rams: Tom Delaney
Penalty count: 8-3
Half-time: 10-14
Referee: Denton Arnold