KEIGHLEY Albion Ladies pushed Super League opposition hard in an attempt to make history in the Challenge Cup.

Albion narrowly lost 26-24 to Wakefield in the quarter-finals, despite holding a lead as the clock ticked to its final moments.

With a huge crowd on home turf at Crossflatts, League One Keighley more than matched their superior opposition.

Sarah Cartwright put in some brutal tackles and chased everything she saw.

While new forward Faye Burnhill found her feet in the game and made lots of yards down the middle of the park.

Then, came the euphoric moment when the stalemate was broken to the tune of enormous home raptures.

Emma Templeton dived over the try-line for the first score of the game.

This sparked Wakefield into action, who responded with a try of their own after a great passage of play.

A determined Keighley though answered back and it was double delight for Templeton.

After a sublime pass from Laura Ackroyd, Templeton managed to storm over the Wakefield line again.

The crowd - several hundred strong - were going wild at this point, clapping and cheering the underdogs on.

Keighley were then in dreamland, as Ackroyd got on the scoreboard herself.

A fantastic solo effort saw her dive over under the sticks.

Wakefield then turned it up a gear once again and after some effort scored a try in response.

Heading into the break, the visitors had the narrowest of leads at 16-14.

The Super League side had the down-hill advantage in the second period, but Lisa Pearson and Danielle Taylor tackled out of their skins to keep Keighley in the game.

Then, Templeton became Albion's hat-trick heroine when she romped over the Wakefield whitewash once again.

Kelly Wood, on permit from York, showed class in the middle of the park, but the visitors were able to get ahead again.

Keighley continued to be a thorn in the side of the Super League side though and it was turn of captain Jodee Loader to show the hosts weren't going to be swatted away.

She scored a try from short to take Keighley into the lead as the pendulum of pressure continued to swing back and forth.

With the clock ticking, time was running out for Wakefield, who were trailing 24-20.

History being made was on the horizon.

But, in a cruel twist of fate, a late Wakefield try to make it 24-24 gave them an avenue back in the game and the chance to ultimately win the tie.

The visitor's kicker showed nerves of steel to send the ball sailing between the posts and the final whistle blew with Wakefield just two points ahead.

Keighley were out of the Challenge Cup, in the most dramatic of circumstances.

But, there was praise aplenty from the Wakefield coach, with Templeton receiving the Player of the Match award.

Albion will hope to show the same kind of endeavour when they get back to league action against Hull KR on Sunday at Crossflatts for a 2pm kick-off.