Lancs Lynx 21 Cougars 4.

Cougars' last match perfectly summed up a lack-lustre season, just a week after giving top of the table Leigh a lesson in high class rugby -- they hit rock bottom.

If they saved their best match of the season until their last home game, they saved their worst until the final match.

Hundreds of travelling fans made the trip across the Pennines hoping for a final Cougar 'fix' which would see them through the miserable autumn months. But they were already suffering 'cold turkey' as they made the dejected journey home after a desperately poor performance.

It wasn't that any individual played particularly badly, or even that they had rediscovered the error-strewn style of play which marred their performances earlier in the season.

It was simply that there was no one capable of orchestrating the kind of attacking play which paid big dividends against the Centurians.

Where Chris Tyrer's drive, timing and adventurous kicking had torn the division's top club to shreds, there was a gaping void.

Where the previous week the young players had been racing onto sharp passes with superb timing which continually broke through the Leigh line, Sunday's play was static and easily swallowed up by the Lynx's lack-lustre defence.

If it hadn't been for the promise of the previous week this would have been just another end of season match, a ragged display by two tired teams. But after being given a glimpse of the side's true potential, it was a big disappointment.

Highlight of the day came well after the final whistle.

As the Cougar players saluted their faithful fans and a few presented their match shirts to those who had never lost faith, Matt Foster went one better and stripped off his shorts . . .

Injuries had taken a further toll on Frank Punchard's ravaged squad with Pat Rich, who has grown in confidence with every game, joining the long list of players watching from the touchline.

Cougars had an early chance to take the lead with an early penalty, but Chris Hartley couldn't make the kick.

Two early points may have inspired the Keighley side, but it was Lynx hooker Andy Bennett who gave his side a slender 4-0 half time lead.

The first 40 minutes had been short on excitement from both sides and only the performance of referee, Maxwell, gave the fans anything to shout about. He confirmed, yet again, that those who control the game are going to have to take a long hard look at the standard of officials on the field. It is no good burying their head in the sand and pretending all is well when the performance of referees is quite appaling.

All officials should be presented with a video of the games they control and analyse their own performance. Only then will there be any chance of seeing a real improvement.

There were real hopes of a Cougar fightback after the break, but Aussie centre Doc Murray burst through for Lynx just four minutes into the second period.

Two tries in four minutes finally killed the game for Cougars. Fullback Paul Roberts crossed the whitewash, followed by Steven Gee to add to the despair of Keighley's fans.

Captain Stevie Hall continued to drive his side forward and they finally got their reward when Nathan Antonik bounced over with five minutes to go.

Although it may have been a match too far for the Cougar side, the season has revealed a side packed with latent talent and the addition of a handful of players will give Keighley a squad to battle with the best next season. Phil Stephenson, who was brought back from amateur rugby, teamed up with Stevie Hall to give the club one of the most mobile, and solid, forward duo's in the division.

Matt Foster and Jason Lee formed a formidable scoring partnership while Jason Ramshaw must be among the most committed captains in the game. Martin Wood continued to be inspirational, and has the ability to make the players around him look top flight.

Next season could be a cracker.

Lancashire Lynx: Roberts; Parsley, Murray, Abram, Jones; Alexander, Flanagan, Horton, Bennett, Prest, Solomon, Walsh, Hodgkinson. Subs (all used) Geritas, Prescott, Fisher, Gee.

Cougars: Kirk; Tomlinson, Smith, Foster, Lee; Wainwright, Hartley; Hall, Antonik, Smits, Stephenson, Hannah, Schick. Subs (all used): McManus, Brown, Bailey, Bliel.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.