Keighley Cougars Reserves suffer derby defeat

COUGARS Reserves fell to a narrow defeat at home to their West Yorkshire rivals.

Halifax took the lead when, following a free play from a knock-on, Aiden Hema pounced to ground the ball.

Josh Casey then got Keighley onto the scoreboard as he took the ball from the air from an Adam Brook kick and outstretched his arm over the line.

Martin Gonzalez’s visitors took the game by the scruff of the neck as they scored three quickfire tries in the space of five first-half minutes.

Jamie Stringer walked into the corner with ease just moments after spilling the ball in a similar position.

On the opposite side, the Cougars outside edge were caught out of position and Sam Smith took full advantage to race through and dive over.

Jude Corcos then grabbed his first of the evening with an easy touchdown on the Keighley right wing.

Scott Lindsey’s side reduced the gap to eight points by the interval, however, as Calvin Barker broke the line before sending Graham Rawlinson racing 60 metres to go in under the uprights.

Barker got his name on the scoreboard in the second half, pouncing on a bobbling ball inside the Halifax in-goal area.

Both sides were then reduced to 12 as Martyn Reilly took a cheap shot at Brook in the tackle, which led to the official sending Reilly and Luke Walters to the bin following handbags.

The visitors then worked the ball out to Curcos, who cut inside to touch down to seal his brace.

In the aftermath, Cougars were reduced to 11 as Callum Smithson was dismissed for foul and abusive language towards a match official.

The final say went to the Cougars in spectacular fashion.

Jak Adams got a deft flick away out of the tackle to Brook, who found the space to put in a lovely curling kick to the far corner for Barker to acrobatically pluck out of the air and touch down.

COUGARS RES: Smith, Barker, Casey, Rawlinson, McConville, Smithson, Brook, Kinnaird, Weatherill, Price, Scully, Sagar, Walters. Subs: Brown, Adams, Clarkson, Robinson.