Cougars 25 Widnes 22

AT LAST the Cougars have started to look something like a rugby team - and although they let Widnes back into the game this time they held on to victory.

Their forwards really let the opposition know they were in a game, the half-backs were creative and their three-quarters at last had some running space.

Errors were reduced and the team's discipline only waned as they became increasingly frustrated by a string of odd decisions from referee Paul Taberner.

Lee Hansen made an incredible difference. His power and superior fitness shone through and he gave the entire pack confidence to power into the opposition. Hansen never stopped going forward, and also produced some crunching tackles.

His influence was enormous and he could also provide the psychological boos all the players need so desperately.

George Mann also impressed. He still looks to have good pace and pull off one or two good tackles.

The effect on the rest of the players was there for all to see. Simon Irving and David Larder also returned to the side with Irving looking comfortable at loose forward. They combined superbly to send Jason Lawrence in for his first Cougar try in the ninth minute.

Chris Robinson then threw an outrageous dummy to race through a statuesque Vikings defence. Irving converted both tries and added a penalty and at 14-0 it looked too good to be true.

Widnes didn't think so, they began to gain the ascendancy in the forwards and went close a couple of times before Mark Hewitt got them back in the game with two penalties just before the break.

Davide Longo added a drop goal in the 45th minute, but instead of pulling clear Keighley let Vikings back into the game.

Joe Simpson lost the ball on half way and the Cougars did well to scramble back and stop Peter Smith racing home. Widnes worked the ball wide and Marty Moore managed to dive over. Hewitt added a penalty and at 15-10 the game looked finely balanced.

This was also the point at which the 'old' Cougars would have collapsed.

Instead they made sure of victory with two well worked tries, the half-backs crucial to both.

Chris Robinson threw a long ball out to Fred Sapatu who crashed over. Then a lovely Longo move created a large hole for Matt Foster to race through and score the try of the game. An Irving penalty between the lst two tries completed the scoring for Keighley.

Again at 25-10 things got too comfortable and as coach Lee Crooks said the Cougars "fell in love with themselves." They relaxed and let in two late tries which nearly cost them the game.

Both were scored by Jim Sainsbury, both came from Cougar errors and both were totally unnecessary.

Salisbury first dived over from a Hewlitt pass and was on hand to run in after Shane Wilson collected a Tane Manihera chip kick. Hewitt converted both, the hooter blowing seconds after his last kick, luckily for Keighley it was too little too late from Graham West's side.

A second victory in the season created bags of confidence and optimism, and those who had played in the Featherstone shambles looked like new men - and must have felt it too.

One of the few who could walk away from Post Office Road with his head held high was Brock McDonald, and he was also outstanding against Widnes. Robinson and Longo at last had space to ply their half-back trade, and were able to show what they are really made of.

Cougars: Foster; Wray, McDonald, Lawrence (Robinson 51), Lee, Longo, Robinson (Simpson 38), Hansen (S Campbell 75), Ramshaw, S Campbell (Mann 35, Stephenson 51), M Campbell (Irving 60), Larder, Irving (Sapatu 55).

Widnes: Salisbury; Bloom, Moore (Hunter 70), Wilson, Smith, Manibera, Hewitt, Makin (Richardson 35), Gartland, White, Smith (Ashton 22), O'Neill (Briers 15), Gareth Cunningham.

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