KEIGHLEY Cougars secured promotion and the League 1 title with a hard-fought 48-18 victory away at play-off contenders Doncaster.

The division’s two in-form sides put on the spectacle expected of them, with an 18th victory of the season ending the Cougars' lengthy absence from the second tier.

And in front of a healthy crowd basking in glorious South Yorkshire sunshine, it is an afternoon that will live long in the memory of anyone associated with the Keighley club.

Club stalwarts Mike Smith and Mick O’Neill were visibly emotional in the stands, a clear sign of what this meant to the club, but also the next step in the sensational turnaround since the duo returned to take over a makeshift side training on Silsden Park in January 2019.

Doncaster had the better of the afternoon’s opening exchanges and would have opened the scoring through Tom Halliday, if not for a superb last-gasp interception from Alix Stephenson on his own line.

It was the visitors though who found the first points.

Scott Murrell took the ball to the line on the last to free up Lewis Young, the full-back in turn offloading out of the tackle to allow Junior Sa’u to touch down. Jack Miller converted the try.

Miller was the scorer of the next try, diving home from close range after offering support on the inside to Young, as he again opened up the Doncaster defence.

The home side tried to find a way back into the arm wrestle, but a no-look pass out wide to Travis Corion near to the line went behind the winger and into touch.

From the restart, Keighley worked their way down the park and earned a six again near to the Dons’ line.

And they made it count, as Brenden Santi powered over from close range for his first try of the season.

Sa’u then tried to burrow his way over for Keighley but was held up and subsequently had his afternoon ended due to a head injury.

However, on the sound of the hooter, Doncaster knocked on 10 metres out from the Cougars’ line and Young picked up the loose ball and raced 90 metres to dive over.

The second half got off to a nightmare start for the visitors as they lost Mo Agoro to a head injury, the division’s top try scorer not returning to the field after that.

Immediately afterwards, two penalties moved the home side down the field, from which an overlap was created to send Halliday over.

However, any threat of a comeback was quickly thwarted.

Charlie Graham first showed great positional awareness while in the air, turning in landing and touching down under immense pressure after a kick to the corner from Dane Chisholm.

Moments later, on the back of yet another break from Young, Toby Everett broke through a tackle to score to the left of the posts.

The Dons would not go down without a fight, finding a second try through Robbie Storey, the centre burrowing over from close range.

Graham soon had his second try of the afternoon though, as he finished off following a lovely interception and break from Chisholm.

Misi Taulapapa then showed great awareness to score on the back of a penalty, after Doncaster had worked their way near to the Keighley line.

The Dons again pushed to find another try to reduce the deficit but were thwarted by Matthew Bailey.

However, his tackle was illegal, and the Cougars prop was sin-binned for a professional foul.

But on the sound of the final hooter, Aaron Levy went through a gap to wrap up the title for Keighley, sparking wild and jubilant scenes among the travelling fans.