IT’S been a long time coming, but the Keighley Cougars finally got their 'plus one party' after victory over the London Skolars.

The 38-26 home win saw the Cougars no longer on minus points following their 12-point deduction at the start of the season following off-field issues leading to a change of ownership.

It not only moved them to one point but also saw them climb from the foot of League One after West Wales Raiders were hammered 72-10 at home to Hunslet.

And it was Keighley's first win under new head coach Rhys Lovegrove following the sacking of Craig Lingard last month.

London nudged themselves in front early when Neil Thorman converted a penalty after Keighley were pinged by the official for offside.

However, this proved to be nothing more than a mere setback in a first half dominated by the home side.

Keighley took the lead on 10 minutes when great work from Jason Muranka and Macauley Hallett created an opportunity for Jordan Parry, who marked his Cougars debut by diving over in the corner for a try.

Things did not get any better for the visitors and they found themselves temporarily a man down as Robert Tuliatu’s first action after coming onto the field was a dangerous tackle that earned him a 10-minute spell in the sin bin.

Keighley punished Tuliatu’s moment of madness with two tries during the period with a man advantage, the first coming through Muranka, who left the defence stranded after selling a dummy pass to round and score.

Jordan Aitchison then scored his first senior try for his home-town club, dragging Lameck Juma out of the line before switching direction and racing through the space created to dive over.

With numbers now again even, Will Cooke’s superb footwork put the home side on the front foot once more before the centre released Jack Miller, who raced beneath the sticks to score.

London hit back with a try on half-time as Omari Caro produced some superb play to send fellow former Bull Iliess Macani over on the sound of the hooter.

The second half was a scrappier affair, typified by the first try of the half as, after the home side knocked on the kick-off, Macani powered his way over again.

However, two quickfire carbon copy tries sealed the win for Lovegrove’s men as Ryan Wright and James Feather shot out of dummy half in quick succession to touch down, Wright handing off a marker before Feather squeezed his way over.

Liam Scott then found a way past the whitewash on the back of a dropout for London, but any threat of a comeback was quickly thwarted by Benn Hardcastle, who converted a penalty after the visitors were pulled for offside on their own line.

Mike Bishay still had time to burrow over for Skolars but it proved nothing more than a mere consolation on a day that belonged to Keighley.