Keighley Cougars 30 Rochdale Hornets 31: Promotion setback for Keighley as Hornets provide sting in tail

Jason Demetriou’s side slipped six points behind leaders Swinton after suffering their third defeat of the season.

The first half was littered with errors, both sides seemingly incapable of keeping hold of the ball for an extended period.

But Rochdale were quick off the mark, opening the scoring in somewhat controversial circumstances.

Cougars watched in amazement when Liam McGovern spilled the ball yet was allowed to continue by the referee.

Steven Roper took advantage of the hosts’ surprise to take the flick-pass and weave straight through the defence, Paul Crook converting.

But Keighley hit back when a super offload out the back from player-coach Demetriou allowed Luke Helliwell to slice through on the angle, Danny Lawton improving.

Rochdale edged back in front when Craig Johnson finished a well-worked move off the back of a controversial penalty awarded by the touch judge but Cougars finished the half strongly.

Lawton produced a quality offload out of the tackle to send in James Haythornthwaite before adding the conversion.

And Cougars took a six-point lead into the interval thanks to Will Cartledge’s try, scored off a well-delayed pass by Helliwell, Lawton again adding the extras.

That lead was threatened when Hornets appeared to score off a Roper kick a minute before the break but the effort was ruled out for offside.

The visitors responded well after the restart though, Craig Ashall jinking over from close range, Crook converting, and having another try ruled out for offside.

But, spurred into action by their brush with disaster, Cougars confidently took control.

James Hutchinson dived into to score off a delicate chip from James Feather before Richard Jones powered through Matt Strong to touch down, Lawton adding the extras on both.

Keighley looked to be home and dry but the game took another dramatic turn when Chris Hough creeped over the try-line and Scott Yates scored following good work by Ashall. Crook converted both and Yates knocked over the decisive drop-goal.

Tempers frayed as the hosts sense their chance slipping away and both Demetriou and Adam Bowman were sent to the sin-bin following a late fracas.

Keighley: Haythornthwaite; Duffy, Lawton, Sagar, Hutchinson; Demetriou, Helliwell; Shickell, Feather, Rawlins, Baines, Pursglove, Jones. Substitutes: Ryan Benjafield, Rick Barr, Ryan Smith, Will Cartledge.

Rochdale: Yates; Johnson, Gorton, Broomfield, Saywell; Crook, Roper; Cookson, McGovern, Samuel, Hobson, Donaghue, Ashall. Substitutes: Newton, Bowman, Hough, Strong. Referee:

Referee: G Hewer (Whitehaven).