Whitehaven 12, Keighley Cougars 22

Short of form, points and fans Whitehaven slumped to their most embarrassing League defeat of the season at the Recreation Ground.

The Challenge Cup reversal at Blackpool was bad enough but this very poor display at home, against the bottom side in the Co-operative  Championship was a disaster.

Coach Ged Stokes came under renewed fire from the fans – less than 1,000 were there – after Haven had thrown away a 12-0 lead without being able to add to their tally in the final hour of he game.

It had been a bright enough start, with two converted tries, but they just simply ran out of ideas as Keighley appeared to want the result more than their hosts.

Josh Veivers put them ahead on 15 minutes after centre Rob Jackson had opened-up the Keighley defence. When the ball was switched in the opposite direction Veivers swept through from full-back to make the extra man and slide through for the try which Carl Rudd converted.

Three minutes later Whitehaven doubled their lead after a foraging run from Danny Barker had set-up a good attacking position. Mark Jackson bullocked forward for the posts and then Leroy Joe put in a clever kick on last tackle which saw debutant Kurt Wilton getting there for the touchdown. Rudd again improved.

Whitehaven hadn’t really been in trouble but Keighley regrouped and before half-time had halved the deficit.

Stand-off Jon Presley made the opening for centre Daley Williams to stride through impressively and score. Danny Jones put over the conversion.

Crucially Haven missed a great opportunity to score a third try at the start of the second-half. Veivers was hauled down a yard or two short of the line but some sloppy work t acting half-back ended with the ball being thrown into touch with the try line yawning.

They never looked like scoring again and on 46 minutes Keighley drew level. Winger Gavin Duffy raced onto a shrewd pass from Jones to glide past a poor attempt at a tackle by Veivers and score with Jones bringing his level from the conversion.

Two tries in the last 15 minutes wrapped-up the points for the Cougars as they ran out deserving winners.

Second row forward Ollie Pursglove scored both tries as he highlighted Whitehaven’s frailty in defence. Tackles were brushed aside all too easily and with Jones converting one of them, Keighley were in clear blue water.

Whitehaven never seriously threatened to come back into the game, which would be the most worrying thing for coach Stokes.

Whitehaven: Veivers, Eilbeck, R. Jackson, Philip, Calvert, Rudd, Joe, Thornley, Mattinson, Amor, S. Miller, Barker, Wilton. Subs (all used) Sice, M. Jackson, R. Fox, Hill.

Referee: Jamie Leahy

Crowd: 900

MAL WALKER was our man at the Recreation Ground and was on hand to snap Josh Veivers soring the first try of the game when Whitehaven got off to a flying start, helped by some good work from Danny Barker shown handing-off Keighley try-scorer Daley Williams.

Mal's prints can can be bought at £25 for an A4 framed and £40 for an A3 framed. Prints only are £10 A4 and £15 A3. 

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