MIDLANDS HURRICANES 46 KEIGHLEY COUGARS 6
IAN GOLDEN, Avery Fields, Sunday

MIDLANDS secured their biggest league win of the season, condemning Keighley to a ninth consecutive defeat, but only really played well for 50 minutes.

They were 46-0 up on 55, with the help of a Matty Chrimes hat-trick, and it looked like they could have carried on to break records, but after a try-saving tackle on the line to deny Ethan Newboult his first professional try, the Hurricanes lost force.

They took the lead on nine minutes. Chrimes broke well, and after he was stopped in his tracks, Aiden Roden forced his way in for Sully Medforth to land the first of seven conversions from eight attempts.

The second try came four minutes later. This time Chrimes was able to finish, doing well to get past the last line of defence and ground wide out on the left.

The Cougars were given an opportunity to get a try back after winning a drop-out, but the Midlands defence held firm against two close-range chances.

A good passing move put Chrimes over in the same spot for his second on 20 minutes. Medforth couldn’t improve this time, but his side were cruising.

Chrimes didn’t have to wait long for his try treble as Midlands kept infiltrating the same flank. This time he had more time to get into a better scoring position to make it easier for Medforth to put the score on to 22-0.

Midlands’ other winger Aidan McGowan was given a go for the next try as the ball was worked out to him and he also had enough time to give Medforth an easier kick.

Rare errors from the home side in the last ten minutes of the first half gave Keighley opportunities.

This included three dropped balls, a penalty given away on the 20-metre line, a drop-out, two six-agains and a scrum 20 metres from goal, but still the visitors couldn’t score.

It looked like Luis Roberts had extended Midlands’ lead just two minutes into the second half, however the referee chalked it off for obstruction.

But the Welsh centre wasn’t going to be denied. Midlands made Keighley pay for a dropped ball on the halfway line, and from the scrum, Roberts ran 40 metres unchallenged.

The tries continued as Medforth laid the ball off well with a neat flick to Ryan Johnson for the seventh of the match on 52 minutes. 

Johnson also scored the eighth after another defence-splitting move, with Chrimes causing the damage before sending his teammate over. 

Newboult was then denied his try as Jack Teanby and Alfie Dean forced him to drop the ball, and Keighley got a try back with nine minutes remaining as Connor Sayner forced his way through and Matty Beharrell converted.

Midlands tried to bring up the half-century in the last play of the game. Roberts chased a grubber after the hooter went, but Waldimar Matahwa booted the ball away.

GAMESTAR: Ryan Johnson scored two good tries and had to cope with a change of position during the game, adapting well.

GAMEBREAKER: The result was never in any doubt and Midlands had it won by 55 minutes after Johnson’s second try.

MATCHFACTS

HURRICANES
1 Todd Horner
2 Matty Chrimes
31 Liam Sutcliffe
5 Luis Roberts
23 Aidan McGowan
19 Sully Medforth
7 Lewis Else
8 Jon Luke Kirby
9 Aiden Roden
10 Tyler Dickinson
3 Ryan Johnson
20 Toby Warren
15 Elliot Morris
Subs (all used)
12 Oliver Roberts
17 Kieran Moran
26 Ethan Newboult
28 Isaac Shaw

Tries: Roden (9), Chrimes (13, 20, 25), McGowan (29), L Roberts (44), Johnson (52, 55)
Goals: Medforth 7/8

COUGARS
1 Connor Sayner
22 Waldimar Matahwa
41 Mac Walsh
18 Oliver Whitford
2 Brad Holroyd
23 Brandon Pickersgill
7 Matty Beharrell
10 Jack Teanby
9 Oli Burton
11 Lucas Green
21 Alfie Dean
26 Nathan Rushworth
40 Brad Clavering
Subs (all used)
8 Dan Parker
17 Jordan Schofield
20 Leo Skerrett-Evans
35 Will Groves

Tries: Sayner (71)
Goals: Beharrell 1/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 16-0, 22-0, 28-0; 34-0, 40-0, 46-0, 46-6

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hurricanes: Ryan Johnson; Cougars: Jack Teanby

Penalty count: 7-5
Half-time: 28-0
Referee: Adam Williams
Attendance: 302