Keighley Cougars 45 London Skolars 26

Once again Skolars led at half-time away from home, but couldn’t take advantage.

The home side had gone into the lead early on when Davey Dixon ran onto a cross-field kick from Harry Aaronson. They went further ahead through Matt Bailey three minutes later, though the conversion from in front of the posts hit the crossbar.

Skolars looked to have put the Cougars under pressure when Aaronson picked up the ball on his own 20 metre line, but he ran across the field from right to left, before finding a gap to race to the tryline.

A 40 metre penalty kick by Jy-Mel Coleman gave Skolars good field position to attack from and some quick passing saw Dave Williams touchdown on the left flank. Then, after Louis Robinson was held up over the tryline, Billy Driver shot over from dummy half. Six minutes later he scored again and Skolars took a 14-18 lead at half-time.

They were put under pressure straight after the interval, conceding a goal-line drop out and after a period defending, the lead went when Michael Emmett scored. Aaronson cut through the defence to set up Dixon’s second try and, when Andy Gabriel broke through for Matty Beharrell to score, Skolars were 14 points behind again.

This time there was no way back. A series of missed tackles allowed James Feather to extend the Cougars’ lead. A try for Lamont Bryan stemmed the follow, but, after a drop goal by Beharrell, a dropped ball by Skolars at a scrum close to their own line saw Brad Nicholson score Keighley’s eighth try. As the hooter sounded, Skolars scored a consolation try with Kam Pearce-Paul sprinting to touchdown a Mike Bishay kick into the in-goal area.

 

Keighley Cougars

  1 Harry Aaronson

  5 Davey Dixon

34 Hamish Barnes

32 Adam Ryder

  2 Andy Gabriel

14 Adam Brook

  7 Matt Beharrell

  8 Scott Law

  9 James Feather

19 Matt Bailey

12 Brendon Rawlins

18 Josh Tonks

13 Michael Emmett

 

Subs (all used)

11 Josh Lynam

17 Nathan Conroy

21 Emmerson Whitel

13 Brad Nicholson

 

Tries: Dixon (5,54), Bailey (8), Aaronson (15), Emmett (49), Beharrell (58), Feather (64), Conroy (76)

Goals: Beharrell 6/8

Drop-goal: Beharrell
London Skolars

  1 Andy Winfield

  2 Sam Nash

  3 Josh Allison

  4 Kam Pearce-Paul

24 Michael Brown

  6 Jy-Mel Coleman

  7 Mike Bishay

25 Michael Sykes

  9 Ben Pointer

29 Callum Bustin

10 David Williams

11 Lamont Bryan

13 Ryan Chester

 

Subs (all used)

14 Billy Driver

  8 Louis Robinson

28 Sadiq Adebiyi

20 Jake Melling

Tries: Williams (25), Driver (33,39), Bryan (70, Pearce-Paul (80)

Goals: Coleman 3/5

Penalty count: 2-7

Half-time: 13-18

Referee: Nick Bennett

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 8-0 14-0. 14-6, 14-12, 14-18, 20-18, 26-18, 32-18, 38-18, 38-22, 39-22, 45-22, 45-26

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