Ossy gives his view of yesterdays game. Do you agree? A View From the South Stand Keighley Cougars 40 – Dewsbury Rams 20 Let’s be honest about it, this was never going to be an easy game, but I certainly wasn’t expecting The Rams to fold the way they did this afternoon. We weren’t simply outplayed, we were also outthought and outfought from the moment the game kicked off, and suddenly I find myself wondering exactly where this vital season is going to take us. Credit has to be given to The Cougars though. Not only did their tactics highlight our defensive weakness out wide, but they also stuck to them when we briefly threatened a second half comeback. The opening moments were fairly equal, but the game was only some eight minutes old when winger Richie Barnett opened the scoring, racing over in the corner and with Danny Jones adding the touch line conversion, we were already 6 – 0 down. We were making far too many mistakes, and Keighley were quick to take advantage, doubling their score when ex Ram Luke Haigh went over by the posts a few minutes later and Jones added the conversion. Cougars were playing with confidence now, but Dewsbury certainly didn’t help matters. They were making far too many mistakes and it was no great surprise when Paul March broke through a poor defence and, going right, he sent Barnett over for his second try. Around the half hour mark it was Ross Peltier’s turn to brush aside a poor Rams defence to add his name to the try scoring list. Jones’s conversion stretched Keighley’s lead to 22 points, and was followed a few minutes later by a penalty. It was around this point that I added a couple of comments to my notepad – ‘This is abysmal’ and ‘Only one side in it,’ which pretty much summed up the game at that point. But as the half drew to an end The Rams finally turned up, winger Greg Scott crossing for their first try wide out, and Tom Hemingway adding the touchline conversion. Half Time :- Cougars 24 Rams 6. Dewsbury needed a more positive approach if they were going to get anything out of this game, and in those early moments they looked up for it, only for Barnett’s interception some ten minutes into the half to spoil the illusion. Gathering the ball well in his own half he then outpaced the defence to go over for his hat trick try. Still, to their credit The Rams kept on coming, Tommy Gallagher driving over from short range, and Kieran Hyde repeating the score only a couple of minutes later. Cougars were clearly rattled, and a bonus point certainly looked to be on at this point. Unfortunately Hemingway missed both conversions, and Keighley were far from finished. Yet again it was the defence that let us down with Cougars moving the ball wide and sending winger Paul White over for their sixth try and, though Jones missed the conversion, he landed a penalty only a few minutes later, stretching their lead to 34 – 14. Time was running out and though prop Stephen Nash drove over for a late try, again direct from the play the ball, and Hemingway added the conversion, it was Keighley who had the last word Luke Haigh crossing for his second try and Jones adding the conversion as the hooter sounded. Final Score :- Keighley Cougars 40 Dewsbury Rams 20. Okay, so it was a good performance from The Cougars, but Dewsbury will need to play better than that to keep our place in the Kingstone Press Championship. Teams :- Cougars :- James Craven; Richie Barnett; Danny Lawton; Daley Williams; Paul White; Danny Jones; Paul Handforth; Jode Sheriffe; Luke Haigh; Sean Hesketh; Josh Lynam; Subs :- Scott Law; Neil Cherryholme; Jack Lee; Ross Peltier. Rams :- Kieran Hyde; Dale Morton; Karl Pryce; Shane Grady; Greg Scott; Tom Hemingway; Anthony Thackeray; Ewan Dowes; Wayne Godwin; Ryan Hepworth; Rob Spicer; Scott Hale, Josh Tonks. Subs :- Stephen Nash; Tommy Gallagher; Matt Haggerty; Jordan Grayston. Referee :- Tom Crashley. Attendance :- 817
Posted on: Mon, 05 May 2014 12:55:47 +0000
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