KEIGHLEY COUGARS 56 WHITEHAVEN 14
JORDAN WEIR, Cougar Park, Sunday

KEIGHLEY ran in ten tries in a contest which was seemingly over at the end of the first quarter.

That was after the hosts scored four of their haul in the opening 18 minutes against a Whitehaven side decimated due to injuries and illness.

The Cumbrians have now suffered five defeats in five in all competitions.

Izaac Farrell was the first scorer after a penalty marched the home side down the field before he scooted over from dummy-half.

Matty Beharrell, making his 250th career appearance in the professional game, kicked the first of his eight conversions.

It was back-to-back tries for the Cougars as Brad Holroyd was on the end of a Beharrell crossfield kick before grounding in the left-hand corner.

A second pair of back-to-back tries rounded off the flying start for Keighley as Connor Sayner and Oliver Whitford helped maintain the spree of more than a point a minute.

They went the full length of the field before Sayner scored, then Whitford was on the end of an Alfie Dean break and Farrell kick.

Whitehaven staged a mini-revival either side of the half-hour mark, scoring a duo of tries.

First Jay Weatherill notched, diving on a bouncing ball from a deft Joe Lowe kick in behind the Keighley defensive line.

This was soon followed as Dave Eccleston sauntered over from short range following a magnificent pass from Jack Newbegin.

Connor Holliday couldn’t add either conversion, but the visitors had a glimmer of hope.

But the next score went to Keighley as George Flanagan spun his way out of several challenges before crashing over, and with Beharrell’s fourth goal, it was 28-8.

The second half followed the same pattern with Keighley taking advantage of an often-weak defence.

Farrell crossed for his second before Castleford loanee George Hill powered over to score his first try in Keighley colours.

Then came a blitz of of three final tries in seven minutes.

Jordan Schofield was the fastest to react when a challenge for the ball from a Farrell kick between Dylan Proud and Weatherill ended up with it hitting the ground.

Then Lucas Green crashed over from short range despite the best efforts of the Whitehaven defence.

In the next set, Holroyd broke down the left-hand edge before finding the supporting Dean.

The final say went to Whitehaven as Jack Kellett dived under the sticks for Holliday to improve.

GAMESTAR: On-loan Castleford backrow George Hill produced a classy performance.

GAMEBREAKER: Keighley’s start blew the visitors away.

MATCHFACTS

COUGARS
1 Connor Sayner
18 Oliver Whitford
5 Dylan Proud
4 Max Clarke
2 Brad Holroyd
6 Izaac Farrell
7 Matty Beharrell
17 Jordan Schofield
9 Oli Burton
30 Ronan Michael
21 Alfie Dean
12 Lachlan Lanskey
27 George Hill
Subs (all used)
14 George Flanagan
29 Joe Bajer
11 Lucas Green
8 Dan Parker

Tries: Farrell (5, 48), Holroyd (8), Sayner (14), Whitford (18), Flanagan (38), Hill (53), Schofield (63), Green (68), Dean (70)
Goals: Beharrell 8/10

WHITEHAVEN
4 Ethan Bickerdike
31 Xenden Callander
19 Dave Eccleston
2 Mitchell Todd
5 Jay Weatherill
21 Joe Lowe
7 Jack Newbegin
8 Jake Pearce
9 Ellison Holgate
20 Marc Shackley
11 Connor Holliday
12 Rio McQuistan
13 Jack Kellett
Subs (all used)
16 Brad Brennan
15 Ellis Nixon
35 Jackson Smith
32 Liam Williamson

Tries: Weatherill (27), Eccleston (32), Kellett (76)
Goals: Holliday 1/3

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 16-0, 22-0, 22-4, 22-8, 28-8; 34-8, 38-8, 44-8, 50-8, 56-8, 56-14

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of The Match
Cougars: George Hill; Whitehaven: Brad Brennan

Penalty count: 9-4
Half-time: 28-8
Referee: Luke Bland
Attendance: 1,328