UPDATED: Challenge Cup victory felt like defeat – Keighley Cougars coach Paul March

Head coach Paul March criticised his side's 'very poor' attitude after Cougars made hard work of overcoming Coventry Bears, even admitting their victory had felt like defeat.

Keighley secured their passage into tomorrow night's Challenge Cup fourth round draw but were given an early scare by Bears, who had led 18-0.

March said: “We found out how difficult the League One campaign will be this season and to be truthful, it feels like a defeat this afternoon.

“I thought our attitude starting the game was very poor and we didn’t give Coventry the respect they deserved. It’s showed throughout this cup weekend that if you don’t turn up with the right attitude, you’ll get beat (five League One clubs were beaten by amateur opposition in the third round).

“We talked about this at half-time and credit to the boys, they came out in the second half for 30 minutes and showed that we are contenders but it’s an attitude thing and letting 28 points in at home, that’s hurtful to me and we’ve got to have a bit more pride in defending our line.

“I have to give credit to them (Coventry) because they brought the game to us and started well to take an 18-point lead and deserved it.”

Coventry scored three unanswered tries in the game’s opening quarter before heading into hibernation.

After winning a penalty from the first set, Jono Milizewski broke through the defensive line and offloaded to Tommy Holland who scored underneath the posts on debut.

The visitors were resolute in defence and doubled their advantage when Charlie O’Mara pounced on James Redman’s grubber after more great work from Milizewski.

And the stunned Cougars found themselves another six points behind when O’Mara shot out of dummy half to go in beneath the uprights.

Clever play finally got March’s side onto the board as Ritchie Hawkyard produced a lovely dummy pass and weaved his way around the back of the Cougars line before racing through to score.

More clever play by the younger of the Hawkyard brothers set up Hamish Barnes, who avoided two would-be tacklers to squeeze over.

Barnes scored again on the hooter to make sure there was only two points in it at the interval when he took hold of the ball from Ross Peltier’s barging run to scuttle over.

Whatever was said by March at the half-time interval seemed to work as Keighley piled on the pressure in the second period.

Barnes claimed his hat-trick as he was quickest to a grubber kick from Ritchie Hawkyard, who was in inspired form for the hosts.

A first Cougars try for John Oakes followed as he broke the line from 30 metres out and rounded the full back.

The onslaught continued as Aaron Ollett had his first competitive try in red and green, turning through a tackle to get the ball down next to the posts.

The result was put beyond doubt with just over a quarter of the game remaining when, after a knock-on from Hayden Freeman, Andy Gabriel raced the length of the field from the free play to touch down.

Paul White grabbed his first try of the year, fighting his way over from dummy half after Brendon Rawlins was held short.

Adam Brook’s clever pass sent Charlie Martin over before Martin had his second in as many minutes as he benefited from Barnes’ break down the left wing after poor marking from the Coventry defence.

The Bears managed two late consolation tries as Jay Lobwein and then Milizewski exposed the Cougars defence to cross and make the scoreline more respectable.

PLAYER RATINGS

COUGARS: R Hawkyard 6; Gabriel 6; Martin 6; Barnes 6; White 6; Brook 6; Handforth 6; Law 6; Feather 6; Rawlins 6; Oakes 7; D Hawkyard 6; Lindsay 7. Subs: Cherryholme 6; Bailey 7; Ollett 7; Peltier 8.

COVENTRY: James 6; Warrilow 6; Barlow 6; Reid 6; Freeman 6; O’Mara 7; Lobwein 6; Holland 7; Redman 6; Liku 6; Holton 6; Barratt 6; Milizewski 7. Subs: Norman 6; Beddows 6; O’Sullivan 6; Saynor 6.