Keighley Cougars 36 Newcastle Thunder 14

PAUL HANDFORTH appears likely to retire at the end of the season and bring down the curtain on a distinguished career.

On the evidence of his latest masterclass, though, the 34-year-old playmaker might just be ready to reconsider.

Handforth scored a hat-trick of tries to destroy Newcastle in a stunning second-half display which underlined Cougars’ promotion potential.

The visitors led 10-6 at the break but an incredible purple patch from Paul March’s side harvested six tries in 14 minutes and put the game to bed.

It was an outstanding second-half performance and capped a fine afternoon at Cougar Park during the Family Fun Day.

March, whose side paraded the iPro Sport Cup they had won seven days earlier, said: “We spoke at half-time about being well below par.

“We turned over too much ball in the wrong areas and talked about making sure we played in the right areas and completed our sets.

“Our kicking game was a lot better in the second half and we had that purple patch where we scored a lot of tries and a lot of good tries too, which was pleasing.

“Defensively we were good too, not so much contact-wise but the way we communicated with one another.

“You could hear it up in the stands and it was great to back up after such an emotional day when we won in Blackpool.”

Nobody impressed more than Handforth and March added: “Tiger has backed up his man-of-the-match performance in Blackpool with another outstanding display.

“He wasn’t 100 per cent but when Paul Handforth takes the ball to the line he is a dangerous player.

“That’s why he gets the big bucks and hopefully we can get him to stay on because he’s a major part of what we do.

“We’ve also got young Brooky (Adam Brook) and young Darvo (Liam Darville) coming through the ranks and it’s their time soon.”

March handed a debut to 18-year-old prop Jamel Goodall, who started in the front row after impressing for the club’s reserves side during the past year.

Handforth opened the scoring when he broke the line and dummied his way past full back Thomas Reudiger for a fine individual effort.

Yet Newcastle hit back when stand-off Lewis Young collected possession ten metres out and jinked past Charlie Martin for an unconverted score.

Cougars committed a number of handling errors and three minutes before the break the visitors scored again through former Wakefield winger Peter Fox, who powered through Ritchie Hawkyard’s challenge in the left corner.

The second half was all about Cougars as Handforth went over after a marauding run from John Oakes.

Handforth showed outstanding vision to flight a searching kick to the right corner where Vinny Finigan caught the ball and grounded in clinical fashion.

Two minutes later, Darville producing a cut-out pass to send Rikki Sheriffe over the line.

Cougars struck again when, after Paul White was denied by Reudiger’s last-ditch tackle, Sheriffe went over in the corner on the next play.

Handforth scored his second try in the 55th minute when the imposing Ross Peltier’s brute force took him close to Newcastle’s line before he produced a delightful offload to put Handforth over from close range.

Two minutes later, Handforth completed his hat-trick when he took James Feather’s pass to race clear from 20 metres out.

The procession continued when Darville went over from close range before Newcastle replied when Reudiger touched down Mikey Wood’s kick in the right corner.

Brothers Ritchie and Darren Hawkyard were forced off the field with a hamstring strain and a suspected torn calf respectively.

March said: “Titch (Ritchie Hawkyard) is a hamstring injury and if we have to leave him at home this weekend (Cougars head to North Wales Crusaders on Sunday) then we will do.

“Darvo can play at full back and Jesse Sheriffe is back in training and can play there but Darren is a bit more serious and could be out for a while.”

Player ratings

Keighley Cougars: R Hawkyard 7, Finigan 6, Martin 6, R Sheriffe 8, White 6, Darville 6, Handforth 7, Law 6, Feather 6, Goodall 7, D Hawkyard 6, Oakes 6, Lindsay 6.

Interchange: Cherryholme 6, Bailey 6, Ollett 6, Peltier 8.

Newcastle Thunder: Reudiger 7, Olpherts 7, Brown 7, Parker 6, Fox 7, Young 7, Kittrick 6, Clarke 6, Teroi 6, Wood 7, Aldous 6, Paterson 6, Simons 6.

Interchange: Thorburn 6, Kilday 6, Moran 6, Dickinson 6

Attendance: 827.

Referee: Jamie Bloem.