Dewsbury Rams Reserves 40, Keighley Cougars 4

COUGAR Reserves coach Dean Muir heaped praise on his injury-depleted side despite defeat at the Dewsbury Rams.

Muir only had 14 fit players at his disposal and was quick to pay tribute to them, saying: “I’m immensely proud of the effort put in by the lads as there was a lot of big lads having to play long minutes.

“To come to a place like Dewsbury with only 14 players shows the number of injuries we have at the moment. So some new additions and the forthcoming three-week break have come at the right time.”

In a game in which the scoreline flattered Dewsbury, Keighley had the first say when Jordan Aitchison came out of the halves to weave his way to the try line.

Despite being the better of the two sides in the first period, a tiring forward pack was taken advantage of in the final ten minutes of the half.

A Stephen Nash line break paved the way for Jose Kenga to dive underneath the sticks, with the second coming in similar fashion, this time with Dan Lidbury going alone.

The Rams opened up a 14-point lead at the interval when veteran scrum half Jonathan Schofield crossed in the far corner.

Playing against 14 men with a team filled with first-teamers was always going to give Dewsbury a distinct advantage and this showed in the second half as they scored four unanswered tries.

A dangerous kick into the air by Brad Delaney caught winger Joe Brier short, allowing opposite number Ryan Langton to touch down.

Delaney proved the biggest thorn in the Cougars’ side throughout and, after breaking a tackle, he won a foot race against Jordan Whippy to cross next to the posts.

With the likes of Ross Peltier and Aaron Levy playing the full 80, the pack’s play became sloppy through tiredness and veteran prop Stephen Nash was the next to get through, crossing after a 20-metre stroll.

And the Rams completed this harsh defeat on Keighley when Cian Timmins fought over the line after Schofield’s cross-field kick.

COUGARS: Casey, Ward, Barnes, Whippy, Brier, Aitchison, Seeley, Broadley, Stott, Peltier, Morton, Nicholson, Levy. Interchanges: Taylor, Stead, Chapman, Muir.