KEIGHLEY Cougars returned to winning ways with a victory at Newcastle Thunder.

After losing the previous week at Oldham Roughyeds, Craig Lingard's men got their League One campaign back on track with an eye-catching triumph over potential play-off rivals.

"The performance the lads put in out there today was certainly the best of the season for me,” said an ecstatic Lingard.

“It was certainly the reaction I was looking for after the Oldham defeat and as a group we’ve been saying for the last couple of weeks that we’re almost there.

“We’ve been very close in some big games and there was no individual performance that stood out for me because it was an all-round team effort.

“You can always play when you’ve got a pack that’s on the front foot and as a half-back it’s difficult to play off a slow ruck but our pack was outstanding today and from that our edge players were able to strike which always helps.

“It’s important for me though that we’re very realistic about where we are this season, we’ve lost against the two teams that were relegated from the Championship and a York side that is full of current or former Hull Kingston Rovers players.

“I understand that some people aren’t particularly pleased with performances and results but where we are is not a bad place to be because League One is that close and it’s important we get victories against those teams around us.”

The Cougars got their rewards early as Darrell Griffin marked his 400th career appearance with his first try for the club after great play by Matty Beharrell to draw a defender out on the inside after a Newcastle onslaught in the game’s opening exchanges.

The visitors extended their lead shortly after when Andy Gabriel’s big carry required three Newcastle defenders to hold him off and from the offload, Ryan Wright squeezed his way over from close range.

Newcastle then got back into the game in bizarre fashion after Scott Law was judged to have obstructed Aaron Ollett in the act of scoring and, after consulting with his touch judges, the referee awarded an obstruction try rather than a penalty try.

The home side then closed the margin at the break to four points as Tom Shaw took the two on offer on the hooter after the Cougars were penalised for holding down in the tackle.

Newcastle started the second half the better side, but Keighley would strike first as Adam Ryder rampaged through a gap in the Thunder defensive line to dive over.

The Cougars extended their advantage through the quick hands of Beharrell after the half-back delayed the pass long enough to create the space for Gabriel to weave his way through to cross next to the uprights.

A high tackle on Lewis Young from Beharrell then resulted in an altercation from which Ritchie Hawkyard and Conor Fitzsimmons were both sent for 10 minutes in the bin.

The resulting penalty allowed Thunder what appeared to be a route back into the game as the home side showed quick speed at the ruck to send Ben Calland speeding through to the line.

However, Gabriel then sealed the points for Lingard’s side as he scored his second, winning an aerial duel with Mo Agoro from a Beharrell kick before showing great speed and awareness to pluck the ball out of the air and touch it down.

Josh Tonks then put the gloss on the victory, showing great strength to turn his way through a tackle to score.

PLAYER RATINGS:

COUGARS: Hawkyard 7; Leeming 6; Whiteley 6; Ryder 7; Gabriel 8; Hardcastle 7; Beharrell 8; Griffin 9; Wright 7; Bailey 6; Morris 6; Tonks 8; Emmett 7. Subs: Law 6; Conroy 7; Lynam 6; Nicholson 8.

THUNDER: Ritson 5; Agoro 5; Brown 5; Ollett 5; Calland 5; Young 6; Shaw 6; McAvoy 5; Simons 5; J Aldous 5; Luckley 5; Fitzsimmons 5; Nicklas 4. Subs: H Aldous 5; Rennie 6; Pointer 5; Lloyd 5.

COUGARS: Tries: Griffin (9); Wright (14); Ryder (50); Gabriel (57, 73); Tonks (77). Goals: Hardcastle (5/6). Sin Bin: Hawkyard (60 – Fighting)

THUNDER: Tries: Ollett (34); Calland (62). Goals: Shaw (3/3). Sin Bin: Fitzsimmons (60 – Fighting)

ATTENDANCE: 623

REFEREE: Billy Pearson (Barnsley)