March eyes plum tie after Cougars’ victory

KEIGHLEY Cougars coach Paul March saluted his on-song side as they clinched a battling Challenge Cup win away to Swinton Lions.

Victory by a 13-point margin secured the Cougars a place in the quarter-finals after they prevailed in only the second meeting between the two sides in the cup since 1907.

“I’m very pleased with the result,” beamed March. “The lads have been working very hard and now deserve the chance to get a plum draw in the next round, that will really help the club.”

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But March admitted: “We played some good stuff, but took the foot off the gas a bit which let them back into it. But overall I am really pleased with the outcome, I thought we deserved the win.”

The visitors led 16-10 at half-time and then pulled away after the break.

They were not helped when Daley Williams was sent-off for fighting, but so was Ritchie Hawkyard for the hosts a minute before half-time.

Anthony Bowman bagged a hat-trick of tries for the Lions and Steve Lewis was also on the scoresheet. But Ritchie Barnett scored a brace of tries for the Cougars and Danny Lawton, Jode Sheriffe, James Craven and Daley Williams also scored tries to help secure victory.

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Lions coach Ian Watson said: “I’m very disappointed as we have worked very hard, but we are giving away too many penalties in the wrong places.

Swinton Lions: Hawkyard, Worthington, Bowman, Peet, Warrilow, Atkin, Watson, Morrison, Ackers, Menzies, Philbin, D Hawkyard, Brown. Substitutes: Hulme, Johnson, Thomas, Lewis.

Keighley Cougars: Craven, Barnett, Lawton, Williams, White, Jones, Handforth, Law, March, Hesketh, Lynam, Rawlins, Sagar. Substitutes: Graham, Sheriffe, Haigh, Peltier.

Referee: T Roby (RFL).