UNPRECEDENTED and unique was how the day was described as Cougars fell to a 36-20 defeat at the hands of the Wales national team in the Danny Jones Memorial Game.

Wales coach John Kear brought his side to Cougar Park on Sunday to honour the memory of Jones following the untimely death of the Cougars' playmaker on May 3, aged just 29.

More than 1,100 spectators turned up as both sides paid tribute to the popular stand-off, who represented Wales at international level.

Kear said following the game: “The players played for nothing for Danny Jones’ family and the event was a worthwhile exercise all round.”

With many of the first team unavailable due to prearranged commitments, reserve team quintet Josh Hunt, Josh Casey, Alfie Seeley, Aaron Nicholson and Jamal Goodall all made their senior debuts and impressed against international opposition.

Wales took an early lead through Rhys Williams’ first try of the afternoon and there was a 15-minute delay to proceedings when Newcastle prop Matt Barron, a product of the scholarship programme at Cougar Park, sustained a horrific break to his leg after falling awkwardly in the tackle.

But, the injury to Barron did nothing to stop the Welsh crusade on the Keighley line as Williams grabbed his second before Featherstone-bound Michael Channing acrobatically touched down to take the lead to 14 points.

However, the Cougars – under the temporary stewardship of Adam Mitchell in the absence of head coach Paul March – came back into the game when James Feather’s clever grubber kick was touched down in the corner by Andy Gabriel.

Ricky Hough squeezed over after Goodall came rushing out of the line but Keighley – who all wore Jones' name on the back of their shirts – had the last say in the half as Jamaican international Hamish Barnes touched down a clever through kick by Adam Brook.

Morgan Evans scored the first points of the second 40 as he broke through and raced 20 metres with Gloucester half-back Courtney Davies crossing just minutes later to put the game out of the home side’s reach.

The occasion meant more than the result on the day but it didn’t stop the club side getting within ten points of their international class opposition.

Ross Peltier, featuring for the first time since August’s victory over Barrow, threw a clever sidestep to wrong-foot full back Jamie Murphy before powering over from an exchange of passes with Feather.

Adam Brook, who recently made his loan switch from Bradford Bulls permanent, scored in similar fashion as he sold an excellent dummy pass to get round Murphy and the chasing back defence to go diving in under the sticks.

But it was South Wales Scorpions’ hooker Connor Farrer who would have the final say on the day as he crossed next to the uprights with little over a minute remaining on the clock.

Lizzie Jones, Danny's widow, took to Twitter to express her gratitude for the match.

She tweeted: "What a fantastic day at @Cougarmania me and the Twins are so grateful and so humbled by the amazing support and love from everyone xx."

The Danny Jones fund has now raised around £280,000 for his family, which includes twins Bobby and Phoebe.

MATCH FACTS:

PLAYER RATINGS:

COUGARS: Hunt 8; Gabriel 7; Barnes 8; Lawton 7; Casey 7; Brook 8; Darville 7; Law 8; Feather 7; Patchett 7; Pursglove 7; Nicholson 8; Lynam 8. Subs: Seeley 7; Lee 7; Goodall 9; Peltier 8.

WALES: Kear 7; Williams 8; Channing 8; Roets 7; Grant 7; Davies 8; Olds 7; Walker 7; Parry 7; Barron 6; Lloyd 7; Reece 7; Kopczak 7. Subs: Evans 7; Geurtjens 8; Hough 8; Farrer 7; Burke 7; Grace 7; Massam 7; Murphy 7.

MATCH STATS:

COUGARS: Tries: Gabriel (22), Barnes (35), Peltier (65), Brook (76). Goals: Lawton 2/4.

WALES: Tries: Williams (4, 10), Channing (16), Hough (26), Evans (47), Davies (50), Farrer (79). Goals: Davies 3/6; Hough 1/1.

REFEREE: Gareth Hewer (Whitehaven)

ATTENDANCE: 1,106