Cougars go top of the table

11:04pm Monday 24th March 2008

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Keighley Cougars 21, Swinton Lions 12

Two-try Gavin Duffy helped Cougars round off a perfect Easter tonight by defeating Swinton Lions to go joint top of Co-operative National League Two.

The livewire winger scored important efforts either side of the break to strike killer blows to the visitors and give Keighley a massive early-season boost.

They had kicked off with an impressive win at Hunslet Hawks on Good Friday and immediately followed up with another three points.

Barry Eaton's side showed great resolve to battle back from an early 12-0 deficit.

Swinton's Andy Saywell had bagged his own brace with tries on nine minutes and at the end of the first quarter.

Liam McGovern converted the second and struck a 25th-minute penalty to put the Lions in control.

However, Australian prop Brendan Rawlins forced his way over and Richard Knight kicked the extras before Duffy cemented his first try to make it 12-10 at the break off a great cut-out pass from Danny Jones.

Former Halifax stand-off Jones was back after a groin strain and with fellow halves Eaton and Jon Presley both injured, his class came in handy.

He delivered a man-of-the-match performance and it was a carbon-copy pass from him that sent diminutive flier Duffy in for his second on 44 minutes.

The hosts never looked back. Swinton's Ian Hodson was sin-binned six minutes later and Keighley sewed the game up with a Knight try and penalty before recalled Craig Fawcett tagged on a drop goal in the final seconds.

Eaton said: "Danny Jones came up with some fantastic contributions with those passes and it's great to be two from two.

"That's what we asked for and we backed up well after Friday night, not conceding a try for the final hour.

"We're at Blackpool on Sunday and if we can win there then we'll probably have an early top-of-the-table clash with Oldham down here the following week!"