Keighley Cougars 16, Oldham Roughyeds 8

A NEW year and new hope for Cougars, who marked their first game of 2016 with victory over an Oldham side who won promotion at their expense last term.

Paul March’s new-look team, featuring half a dozen close-season signings, deservedly edged an entertaining encounter on a mudbath in their opening pre-season friendly.

A crowd of 397 turned out at Cougar Park to see new recruits Ritchie Hawkyard, Vinny Finigan, Aaron Ollett, Sonny Esslemont and John Oakes make their first appearances for the club.

Charlie Martin, who was on trial at Bradford this time last year and played for Keighley on dual reg in 2013, also featured and claimed the man of the match honours with a fine try-scoring display in the centres.

Hawkyard, meanwhile, capped an equally assured performance at full back with the final try of the match in the closing stages to secure a win that delighted March.

The head coach, who retired from playing at the end of last season, said: “I thought we played well.

“Defensively our contact was good early on and, although we went away from it, we fixed it up at half-time and didn’t allow them to play.

“It was a muddy field and a battle of the fittest in the middle, but I thought we looked very fit as well.

“That’s credit to Adam Mitchell and his staff for getting the players in that shape.

“I think both teams will be happy with that at this stage in pre-season. Yes, it wasn’t the most spectacular game but the lads have been working towards and it was good to get out there.”

Traumatic does not do justice to life at Cougar Park in 2015 following the untimely passing of popular playmaker Danny Jones last May before March’s team lost to Oldham and then Swinton to in their two promotion play-off battles.

But they set out about their work in impressive fashion yesterday and made a vibrant start which forced Oldham winger Jamel Chisholm to knock on from Paul Handforth’s teasing grubber kick.

Oldham survived that set but Cougars continued to probe and former Bulls junior Adam Brook’s clever pass invited Martin to scamper clear from less than 20 metres out inside the left channel.

Brook, who was shown the door by Bradford without playing a first-team game, added the extras to make it 6-0 with less than five minutes played.

Oldham fashioned an impressive response and, after being pulled back for crossing, they levelled the scores in the 14th minute.

Finigan knocked on around 10 metres from Cougars’ line and Oldham made their hosts pay, working the ball neatly to the right corner where winger Adam Clay was on hand to squeeze over the line.

Lewis Palfrey, last season’s League 1 Player of the Year, failed to convert but Oldham began to dominate field position.

They pounded away at Cougars’ line but the hosts held firm and Oakes expertly held up Oldham replacement Liam Thompson over the line to deny him a certain try.

But Oldham scored again five minutes before the break when Danny Grimshaw made a fine break and Clay was on hand to support him and race over for his second try in the right corner.

Steve Roper missed the conversion but Clay’s brace meant Oldham led 8-6 at the break, although Cougars winger Andy Gabriel almost scuttled over in the right corner nine minutes after the restart.

In the 54th minute, Cougars centre Hamish Barnes collected a short pass and forced his way over the line from close range.

Brook missed the conversion but, with 15 minutes remaining, Handforth embarked on a searing break which took him past a clutch of Oldham defenders on halfway.

His progress was halted, but the momentum remained largely with Cougars and Hawkyard was on hand to ground a kick behind the Oldham with five minutes remaining to seal a dominant second-half display.

Cougars: R Hawkyard, Gabriel, Barnes, Martin, Finigan, Brook, Handforth, Cherryholme, Ollett, Rawlins, Esslemont, Oakes, Lindsay

Interchange: Lawton, Feather, Lynam, Bailey, Nicholson, Peltier

Oldham: Holmes, Clay, Ashton, Ford, Chisholm, Palfrey, Roper, Joy, Owen, Spencer, Briscoe, Langtree, Hope

Interchange: Gee, Crowley, Thompson, Files, Hughes, Ward, Lepori, Grimshaw

Referee: S Mikalauskas

Attendance: 397