Keighley Cougars 22

Featherstone Rovers 22

The Cougars remain top of the Northern Ford Premiership but by the skin of their teeth. after losing their 100 per cent record.

They had to wait until the dying seconds to claim a share of the spoils, Martin Wood putting a grubber kick to the post which bounced luckily for Danny Seal to pounce and with Wood's conversion the scores were tied.

That was the second time the Cougars had clawed their way back into this game.

They started disastrously and a string of first half handling errors allowed rampant Rovers to build up a 16-0 lead.

That came with three well-taken tries as Rovers dominated the early exchanges thanks to superior ball control and midfield leadership from excellent young skipper Jamie Rooney. He created the first try when his pass put Neil Lowe over in the 19th minute.

Then Rooney was part of a six-man move which saw Steve Dooler finish off one of the best tries seen at Cougar Park this season. Rooney converted and then added the extras to Rovers' third try scored from short range by Danny Evans in the 28th minute.

Keighley always looked likely to get themselves back into this game once they start to complete their sets of six - and so it proved. Jason Ramshaw led the fightback when he dummied his way over from ten metres out in the 32nd minute and then just before the break Jason Lee went in at the corner. With Wood landing the first conversion that made the score 16-10 at half-time.

Keighley pulled level when Wood and Ian Hughes combined superbly to send James Rushforth racing over. Wood's conversion levelled it for the first time.

However errors crept back into Keighley's game and a superb solo try from Jamie Stokes restored their lead in the 56th minute.

A super touch line conversion from Rooney - his third - restored Rovers' six point margin and despite end to end almost cup tie football that looked like remaining the score until Seal pounced to grab a share of the spoils.

Keighley Cougars: Rushforth; Horne, Carter, Hallas, Lee; Wood, Antonik; Leatham, Ramshaw, Walker, Harrison, Hughes, Seal. Subs (all used): Smith, Boothroyd, Lord, Stephenson.

Featherstone Rovers: Rhodes; Stokes, Dooler, Swinson, Brammald; Bastow, Rooney; Dickins, Chapman, Clarkson, Evans, Lowe, Darley. Subs (all used): Simpson, Barnett, Helliwell, Morgan.

Referee: Ian Smith (Oldham)

Attendance: 3,269

Man of the match: Nathan Antonik