FRESH from their terrific league win over the Bradford Bulls last time out, the Keighley Cougars went into their fourth round Betfred Challenge Cup game on Saturday full of confidence.

They were taking on North Wales Crusaders, with their third-tier visitors yet to register a single league win so far this year.

The Crusaders had enjoyed some success in the cup at least, eliminating Thatto Heath Crusaders and the Royal Navy to reach this stage, while Keighley had managed a narrow two-point win over Hunslet in round three.

The prize on offer for both sides was a fifth-round visit to either Hunslet ARLFC or the Batley Bulldogs.

Betfred Championship outfit Cougars came through at the weekend to win 36-14, and will visit Mount Pleasant in three weeks’ time, after Batley crushed their amateur opponents 80-6.

With two minutes on the clock on Saturday, Keighley scored a simple opening try with Keenan Dyer-Dixon taking the final pass and going over in the corner.

With no Luke Gale or Dane Chisholm in the side, it was Dan Parker who struck the ball wide with his touchline conversion.

The Crusaders equalised 15 minutes in when Dante Morley-Samuels took advantage of some good work from Owain Abel to go over in the corner.

Abel added the conversion to edge the League 1 side into a surprise lead.

Keighley struck back almost immediately as Mo Agoro leapt to take a high kick towards the corner to walk in and ground without being challenged.

Parker was again off target with the extras, but his side were now 8-6 to the good.

A great break from Lewis Young left Crusaders tacklers in his wake before he took the full-back out of the game by finding Billy Gaylor.

Scrum-half Gaylor ran in under the posts, with Parker adding the goal to make the score 14-6 to the hosts.

With five minutes of the half remaining, the Cougars scored from the back of the scrum as Dyer-Dixon got his second, taking the ball on the overlap and diving in at the corner.

Parker was unable to add the touchline conversion, meaning Keighley were 18-6 in front at the break.

The Cougars opened the second-half scoring when Tom Doyle profited from visiting loose forward Callum Hazzard being given ten minutes in the bin for dissent.

Almost immediately, the hooker went in under the sticks against the 12 men. Parker was on target for a second time to make the score 24-6.

Soon after, Keighley missed a tackle due to some nice skill from Brandon Wood, who went in at the corner. Abel was unable to put the conversion over, leaving the Crusaders still 14 points behind.

A superb solo try from Young, jinking through the Crusaders defence, saw one full-back outfox the other to go over and score the sixth home try of the afternoon.

Harvey Spence added the conversion to put Keighley 30-10 ahead.

Out of nothing, Kieron Taylor scored a third Crusaders try as he collected a delightful chip to the corner to score.

The attempted conversion was put wide, meaning North Wales were still 16 points adrift with nine minutes remaining.

It was too easy for Agoro to get his second try on 75 minutes as he walked in at the corner.

Spence added the conversion for 36-14 to mark the end of the scoring, as Cougars advanced into the next round with relative ease, despite a few of their stars being missing.