Betfred League One

West Wales Raiders 6

Keighley Cougars 112

KEIGHLEY Cougars put some gloss on a troubled season as they tore up the record books in Llanelli.

Craig Lingard’s side ran in 20 tries against West Wales Raiders, who could only field 12 men on the afternoon, to break the previous club record victory of 104-4 against Highfield in 1995.

Four players scored hat-tricks and put the Cougars in good stead ahead of the season’s final game at home to the North Wales Crusaders this Sunday.

“It’s always nice to be part of history,” admitted the Keighley head coach.

“To set the new club record victory is a good feeling and it means we can push on to this Sunday and look to finish the season strongly at home against North Wales.

“You have to commend the West Wales lads, though, to still turn up and put a shift in with just 12 players after the difficult season they’ve had takes a lot of guts and courage.”

The tone for the afternoon was set early on as the Cougars found themselves 46-0 up with just 22 minutes played.

Andy Gabriel opened the scoring after just three minutes before Cameron Leeming followed up with his first just minutes later.

Dan Parker extended the arrears with the first of two tries in two minutes, Emmerson Whittel scoring the other immediately from the restart.

The onslaught wouldn’t stop there as Ritchie Hawkyard found his way to the line before Jose Kenga powered his way over for the Congolese Prop’s first try of the season.

Leeming would then score his second try of the afternoon with James Feather scooting over for the Cougars' eighth try in the game’s opening quarter.

Raiders would secure themselves a brief respite as they kept the visitors out for nine minutes, scoring themselves in the process through an Alan Pope effort.

Cougars still had time to get over for another two scores before the half-time interval, both Gabriel and Parker found their way to the line for their respective second tries.

West Wales played their part and looked to have tightened up defensively in the second-half despite conceding an early try to Alfie Seeley.

However, Craig Lewis was sent off for dissent following an exchanging of words with the match official and Cougars captain Mike Emmett and from this, the floodgates opened once more.

Hawkyard began the second half massacre with his second try before Billy Gaylor dove over in the corner for his first try of the season.

Benn Hardcastle then raced home beneath the uprights for the first of three tries in four minutes.

The other tries in this period came through Christopher Cullimore, his first of 2018, with Seeley racing over from the restart for his second.

The numbers game then continued to catch up with Raiders as Dalton Desmond-Walker was sin binned, along with Hardcastle, for a fracas nine minutes from time.

This allowed four of Cougars' players to complete hat-tricks on the afternoon, the first being Gabriel who went over for his 18th try of the season.

Seeley then completed his first professional hat-trick with Leeming following suit, the successful conversion from Gaylor breaking the club record victory in the process.

And then on the sound of the full-time hooter, Hawkyard made it a quadruple of trebles to complete the rout and a record breaking day at the office for Cougars.

It wasn’t all plain sailing on the day for the Cougars however, as they found themselves stranded on the M6 for two hours on the journey home after the team bus broke down.

PLAYER RATINGS:

COUGARS: Hawkyard 8; Seeley 7; Parker 6; Leeming 7; Gabriel 8; Hardcastle 8; Gaylor 7; Kenga 7; Feather 6; Rawlins 6; Lynam 7; Whittel 7; Emmett 6. Subs: Law 6; Nicholson 6; Cullimore 6; Levy 6.

COUGARS: Tries: Gabriel (3, 31, 75); Leeming (6, 19, 78); Parker (8, 35); Whittel (9); Hawkyard (11, 53, 80); Kenga (14); Feather (22); Seeley (43, 74, 77); Gaylor (58); Hardcastle (59); Cullimore (61). Goals: Hardcastle (14/16); Gaylor (2/4). Sin Bin: Hardcastle (71 – Fighting)

RAIDERS: Tries: Pope (30). Goals: Elliott (1/1). Sin Bin: Desmond-Walker (71 – Fighting). Sent Off: Lewis (46 - Dissent)

ATTENDANCE: 218

REFEREE: Michael Mannifield (Huddersfield)