Cougars commit Carnegie suicide

10:37pm Sunday 9th March 2008

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Keighley Cougars 14, Toulouse 17

The Cougars played right into Toulouse's hands to knock themselves out of the Carnegie Challenge Cup today.

That's the view of boss Barry Eaton after his side veered away from their game-plan and watched as the French side took control.

Keighley bounced back from 12-4 down to go ahead for the first time just before the hour mark, Jamaine Wray and Andy Shickell getting quick-fire tries and Richard Knight adding a goal.

But then they fell away to eventually lose 17-14 to the 2005 semi-finalists, and Eaton wasn't happy.

"We blitzed Toulouse at the start of the second half and got our noses in front," he said.

"We were rolling forward, Jamaine was very influential around the ruck, Andy was tearing shreds out of them, being real direct, and they couldn't handle it.

"But then we went back to going wide and trying to off-load when it wasn't on and it just invited Toulouse back in.

"It was disappointing. There were no refereeing decisions to blame this week - it was all our own doing. We contributed to our own downfall and we have to be smarter."

Constant Villegas got Toulouse off to a flier, scoring after just four minutes at Cougar Park with a try converted by Coombes Bennet.

But the hosts soon responded when second-rower Will Cartledge nipped over, only to gift the Frenchmen - who had former Catalans prop Adel Fellous in outstanding form - an easy effort just before the break.

Wray's wayward pass resulted in Matieu Almarcha intercepting and Trent Clayton improving to make it 12-4.

Keighley hit their hot spell after the restart to seemingly turn the game but Jerome Gout crossed on 64 minutes to end their hopes of progressing.

Clayton's drop goal in the final seconds made sure.