KEIGHLEY Cougars jumped into the League One play-off places after grinding out a hard-fought 20-12 victory over Hunslet.

The game was a tight affair, only settled with little over a minute remaining when Brad Nicholson turned his way over for the second try of the afternoon.

Fresh from a routing of Hemel, the Cougars started in the same attacking frame of mind and broke the deadlock early on.

A Matty Beharrell kick into the air caused chaos within the Hunslet ranks and allowed Adam Ryder to pounce for his 10th try of the season.

Hunslet hit back though in similar fashion as Joel Gibson left a kick hanging in the air and, despite the best efforts of Andy Gabriel, the ball fell back into the visitors hands – allowing Mufaro Mvududu to touch down.

From the restart, there was a sickening clash of heads between opposite numbers Ritchie Hawkyard and Jimmy Watson, which resulted in both players' afternoons being bought to a premature end.

Brendon Rawlins was then placed on report after being deemed guilty of a dangerous throw.

Hunslet drew level in bizarre fashion as the referee adjudged Sean Hesketh had knocked on, but his touch judge called a ball steal, which then saw the referee change his mind and allow Joe Sanderson to convert.

The visitors took a six-point lead into the interval – Liam Mackay showing great footwork to break the Keighley line and eventually offload to Sanderson to cross next to the posts.

With the Cougars going down the hill, their flowing attacking style under coach Craig Lingard became to slowly seep back in as Beharrell showed quick hands to create the space to allow Nicholson to stroll in under the uprights.

The Cougars took the lead for the second time when Hunslet conceded back-to-back penalties on the Keighley line and, with defences very much on top in this game, Beharrell opted to take the two points on offer.

The game was on a knife-edge with both sides throwing away opportunities to take the clash by the scruff of the neck, but it would be the home side that delivered the killer blow.

On the back of a scrum ten metres from the Hunslet line, Nicholson took a pass out of the tackle and proceeded to side-step around a defender before touching down.