Last-minute Sutcliffe try seals victory for Cougars

The Keighley Cougars' Northern Rail odyssey came to a close at home against Workington Town on Sunday.

In the space of five charged weeks, six games have been played encompassing the full spectrum of emotions. From dismay against Halifax where the defence disintegrated, to disbelief against Workington twice where the officials deprived the Cougars of an even playing field or even the recognisable rules of rugby, to finally delirium away at Workington where the team competed fully to claim that all elusive away win.

With nothing to play for but pride on Sunday, Keighley could perhaps be forgiven for looking forward to this Friday's tussle with Hunslet Hawks. But head coach Barry Eaton had his players focused, enforcing the need to take each game as it comes. The competition for a starting shirt means that a bad performance could mean an enforced rest.

For one Cougar, Will Cartledge he will certainly be facing an enforced rest, following his injury after only five minutes.

His replacement Wayne Sutcliffe, who has only just returned from surgery, proved to be the home side's saviour. With only seconds remaining he squeezed past Mark Routledge and hit the line before Jay Duffy could get across, to claim the try and cement the double over the Cumbrians.

It was the only time in the match that Keighley had led. But they were the first team to show, putting together a sequence of long miss out passes, spanning the full width of the pitch which severely stretched the Workington defence. With the overlap on, Gavin Duffy knocked on.

Town compounded the pressure by knocking on twice whilst Franco Kmet kicked to touch on the full.

Twelve minutes had elapsed before the visitors ventured into the Cougar 20 for the first time. They left with four points. The influential Carl Forber swung the ball back to the blind side to leave the door ajar for Dexter Miller to burst through as Sam Gardner desperately tried to close the gap and cover the two man overlap.

Whilst Forber missed the conversion, he was the next try scorer. Ryan Benjafield made a break between Sutcliffe and Brendan Rawlins, running right before switching play back left. The supporting stand off burst through the line and behind the posts, to leave the easiest of conversions. He duly kicked it to give Workington a ten-point cushion.

The Cougars struck back immediately reclaiming the ball and driving hard down the centre. Once in striking distance James Feather found Jon Presley, who put in Karl Smith. Gardner was waiting in the wings should his assistance be required. The PA system announced Gardner as the try scorer much to Smith's mirth.

However Richard Knight's wild touch line conversion attempt was not a laughing matter, and left the hosts trailing 10-4 after 26 minutes.

They achieved parity eight minutes later. Turning defence into offence, a Workington bomb was taken in mid-air by Duffy. In the same movement he spun and released the ball to his full back, George Rayner. Within three plays Workington's 20 had been breached. Presley put in a cross field kick to the right hand corner. The ball was worked back to Eaton who muscled his way over by the posts. Knight tagged on the extras to make it 10-10.

The Cumbrians almost regained the lead through substitute Tyrone Dalton who broke the gain line for 50 metres, before hacking on. Duffy, whilst on the wing used his full back awareness and pace to backtrack. He ran the ball out of bounds to avert the danger and concede the goal line drop out.

However an unusual Presley error, when he kicked the ball in to touch on the full, put Keighley on the back foot once more. Debutant Dan Potter then rushed from his own defensive line, to allow space and an opening for Ryan Campbell to charge through to the chalk, only a minute before half-time. Forber goaled to leave Keighley trailing 16-10 at the break.

The second half saw Simon Bissell, Chris Redfearn and Rawlins all rebuffed one metre short by the visitors defence. The Cougars switched play to the left and found Potter in the pocket. Seconds later he stooped in goal to ground the ball for his first try, and to leave an easy conversion. Inexplicably Knight missed.

Three minutes later a Potter missed tackle allowed the Cumbrians to surge 50 metres down the right. Within three plays Routledge touched down for Town. Forber missed the goal but minutes later made amends with a successful penalty kick.

Almost immediately Keighley reduced the arrears. Presley and Eaton combined to release Rayner for the score. Knight goaled, to leave a two-point shortfall.

The visitors absorbed a full set in their own 20 before breaking out and down the pitch. A try seemed certain when Forber put in a basketball style pass to Matthew Tunstall. Given his size and stature he should have done better, but the Cougars wrapped him up and reclaimed the ball.

As the minutes ticked down Kmet clamped Gardner around the neck to concede a penalty in a kickable position. Keighley opted to kick for position, before the play broke down when Knight put too much purchase on a flick pass to Smith.

Luckily for the home side they were afforded a further opportunity when the pass intended for Scott Burgess was ill directed.

Presley made a line break to release Rayner, who slipped. The ball was worked by Wray, Potter and Presley up the flank. Before in the dying seconds Sutcliffe stole in for the winning try.

Eaton kicked the touchline conversion as the hooter sounded, for a somewhat unlikely victory at 26-24.

A relieved Barry Eaton said: "We had opportunities but spurned them. Our old defensive frailties returned. We made it very hard for ourselves although I'm pleased for Wayne (Sutcliffe). This is his first game back after surgery and he got the winning score.

Unfortunately the downside to the victory is we lost Will (Cartledge) and he is likely to be out for three months."