Tempers flare as Cougars and All Golds end with ten men

COUGARS edged a bad-tempered pre-season friendly on Saturday which saw both sides finish with ten men.

Respective captains Paul Handforth and Steve Parry saw red for punching, while Keighley pair Ash Lindsay and Paul March were sin-binned along with All Golds duo Brad Adams and Joel Thomas.

Tries from Liam Darville, March, Sean Kelly, Rikki Sheriffe, Andy Gabriel and Gavin Duffy secured the win for Cougars.

Player-coach March said: “Some of the All Golds lads were trying to make a name for themselves against the likes of our big names and Paul (Handforth) and Ash (Lindsay) got dragged into that. You can’t go around self-disciplining.”

By contrast, All Golds coach Lee Greenwood thought referee Jamie Bloem had been too rash.

He said: “I don’t think there was ill discipline, I think the referee didn’t try enough to cool the growing situation down and I think the red cards were harsh.

“I think a sin binning would have sufficed and it was a rash decision.”

The visitors arrived late to Cougar Park but they were the brighter side during the opening quarter of the match and led when Ollie Purslow squeezed over from dummy half.

Cougars steadied themselves and hit back six minutes later when Duffy won a penalty and, from the quick tap, former Bradford Bulls prospect Darville weaved his way through the All Golds’ line to cross next to the posts.

Soon after, player-boss March showed his enduring class to go in under the sticks.

Kelly, who put in a man-of-the-match performance for Cougars, then showed outstanding dexterity to escape a three-man tackle and squeeze over the line.

Ex-Super League star Sheriffe, who joined his younger brothers Jode and Jesse at Cougar Park last week having arrived on loan from Halifax, then collected a pass from Kelly to score.

Right on the interval hooter, Cougars struck again when Brendon Rawlins sent a well-executed grubber behind the visitors’ defence for highly-rated prospect Gabriel to score in the corner.

The second half was a dull affair in the opening half-hour, with the only moment of note a Duffy try to extend the hosts’ lead to five converted tries.

The All Golds rallied though after a sloppy pass from March fell into the hands of Emmerson Whittel, who played for Bradford in Super League last season, and he scampered clear to score for the visitors.

The University side then took advantage of three veteran Cougars players being off the field following the brawl to grab three tries in the final ten minutes.

Callum Mulkeen and Matt Bradley crossed in the opposite corners before Joe McClean broke and raced 60 metres for the final try off the afternoon.

COUGARS: Darville, Duffy, R Sheriffe, Lawton, Gabriel, P March, Handforth, Cherryholme, Haigh, Rawlins, Lindsay, Pursglove, D March. Interchanges (all used): Peltier, Jode Sheriffe, Graham, Patchett, Kelly, Brown.

ALL GOLDS: Martin, Mulken, Reece, Cowburn, Claridge, Davies, Bradley, Purslow, Parry, Duffy, Whittel, Haynes, Vitalini. Interchanges (all used): Spencer-Tonks, Adams, McClean, Canterbury, Scriven, Pywell, Thomas.

ATTENDANCE: 200