Keighley Cougars 18, Barrow Raiders 17

by Ross Heppenstall

ANDY Gabriel grabbed a dramatic late try to hand Keighley a stunning victory which sent the Cougar Park faithful into raptures.

Paul March’s side had lost to Barrow twice already this year and were on course for another defeat with the Cumbrians leading 17-8 with just four minutes remaining.

But Rikki Sheriffe pulled a try back in the 76th minute and then Gabriel dived over in the right corner with a minute remaining to cap a remarkable fightback.

There was time for more drama still as Barrow’s Brad Marwood booted a penalty from halfway to win the game, only for his attempt to narrowly miss the target.

After a balanced opening, Cougars winger Paul White opened the scoring in the 21st minute after a period of prolonged pressure on the Raiders’ line.

March’s long pass was intended to find Sheriffe inside the left channel and the former Bulls star hacked the ball forward to the corner where White gratefully accepted to touch down.

Barrow thought they had scored on the half-hour mark when Marwood scuttled over the line but referee Andy Sweet brought back play for a knock-on by Craig Briscoe.

Moments later March followed up his own grubber kick by forcing Shane Toal to concede a goal-line drop-out.

That increased the pressure on Barrow further and they then conceded a penalty when Cougars prop Ross Peltier had the ball ripped out close to the visitors’ line.

Josh Guzdek almost put Gabriel over in the right corner as Barrow survived again.

Then Barrow scored out of nowhere in the 39th minute when replacement Brad Crellin broke Cougars’ line and found Liam Campbell in support.

Campbell showed intelligence to throw a smart pass back to Crellin and the back-rower sauntered over the line before celebrating with gusto.

Six minutes after the restart, the Raiders struck again when, after forcing a drop-out, Peter Lupton drove at the heart of the Keighley defence and dummied his way past Peltier to cross the line.

Jesse Sheriffe was just short as he attempted to ground the ball but, with 21 minutes remaining, March showed quick thinking to take a quick penalty tap and touch down from close range.

Danny Lawton missed the conversion again to leave Keighley two points adrift at 10-8 before a drop-goal from Marwood stretched Barrow’s lead.

Barrow’s army of travelling fans were in dreamland soon when replacement James Duerden brilliantly bamboozled his way through the home defence to score a fine individual try.

Barrow kept Cougars out at the other end and should have made the game safe when Adam Nicholson dropped the ball with the try-line begging.

But Sheriffe then plunged over late on inside the left channel and Lawton finally managed a successful conversion before Gabriel sealed it with a clinical finish that Lawton failed to convert.

Keighley Cougars: Guzdek 7, Gabriel 6, Lawton 6, Rikki Sheriffe 6, White 7, March 7, Darville 6, Law 7, Feather 6, Tahraoui 6, Lynam 7, Pursglove 7, Dickinson 6

Interchange: Peltier 7, Cherryholme 6, Bailey 6, Jesse Sheriffe 7

Barrow Raiders: Campbell 7, Pitman 6, Hankinson 6, Litherland 6, Shane Toal 6, Lupton 8, Ward 6, Bullock 6, Mossop 7, Harrison 7, Nicholson 7, Briscoe 7, Dan Toal

Interchange: Marwood 7, Dawson 6, Duerden 8, Crellin 7

Referee: Andy Sweet

Attendance: 903