Keighley Cougars Reserves 18 Halifax RL Reserves 25

COUGARS Reserves fell to a narrow defeat after letting a ten-point interval lead slip.

Halifax secured the points in the final ten minutes as Keighley tired.

Coach Scott Lindsey said: “It was a game of two halves and, in the end, fatigue proved to be the difference between the two sides.

“It was fatigue for me - there is no game fitness for the lads when you’ve got so many weeks between games. It’s going to take its toll.

“Halifax may have deserved the result a little more than us but if you'd have asked me two weeks ago if the game would have been as close as it was, I’d have said no, so the lads deserve a pat on the back.”

Things didn’t look promising in the opening ten minutes as Halifax raced into an early eight-point lead.

Ed Barber powered his way through the defensive line to race in from ten metres out before centre Josh Greenwood-MacDonald found a bus-sized gap to stroll through and dive over.

Cougars, however, quickly turned the tables. Man of the match Sonny Esslemont crossed the line twice in four minutes, turning his way through a tackle to fight over on both occasions.

Will Milner, who joined on loan from Featherstone last week, put a superb cross-field kick in on the last tackle which Alfie Seeley expertly picked out of the air to touch down.

Then on the half-time hooter, Cougars extended their lead to ten when Andy Gabriel raced the length of the field to go over in the left-hand corner.

The second half was all Halifax as they scored 17 unanswered points.

Interchange Conor McGrath walked over in the corner minutes before they drew level as Lewis Hosty touched down next to the uprights.

Connor Robinson slotted over a drop goal with ten minutes to go before Hosty raced over from 20 metres to secure victory for Martin Gonzales’ side.