Whitehaven battled to a convincing 20-4 win over the Keighley Cougars in a game which head coach Anthony Murray said was ‘an absolute result’ against a team that was one of the pre-season favourites for the Betfred League One title.
After the match, Murray saidL: “I am so pleased for the boys with the work ethic they put in, it just shows that when you put a bit of work in and are prepared to roll up your sleeves it doesn’t matter what the opposition spends.
“Before the match I challenged our players to be wanting to be better than the man in front of them, and our players were, from 1-17. I am really pleased for the fans who came through the gate and saw a team that was fully committed and wanted to win. All the fans have gone home happy, so I’m happy.”
On a day which saw popular Whitehaven captain Jordan Burns make his 150th career appearance, the two sides presented different playing styles with the Cougars’ passing game in stark contrast to a battling and gritty performance from Whitehaven led by Man of the Match Burns.
And it was a charge down the middle of the field that saw Whitehaven score first when the yards gained by Jake Pearce and Rio McQuistan set up the ever impressive and hard working Jack Kellett who powered in from close range, twisting through the Keighley defence and just managing to make the try line with the conversion added by Cameron Brown.
Whitehaven were celebrating again 10 minutes later when Ethan Bickerdike jumped to catch a Brown kick and seemingly ground the ball, only for referee Andy Sweet to rule that the ball had been held up.
With Brown having missed an attempt at a penalty goal, the try of the game came on the half hour when Jay Weatherill somehow twisted away from the clutches of three Keighley defenders and outpaced Brandon Pickersgill to sprint 60 metres up the left wing to dive over and score a superb try, although Brown couldn’t convert this one. It was 10-0, but as the first half closed, Keighley’s Junior Sa’u took advantage of a Whitehaven mistake and barged over for an unconverted try, and it was anyone’s game.
The opening period of the second half were error strewn with both teams guilty of mistakes, but Keighley’s discipline was poor and Brown added two more penalty goals for Whitehaven, the first for a late tackle, and the second for Keighley dissent to make it 14-4.
As the clock ticked down haven’s Mason Lewthwaite put the icing on Whitehaven’s celebration cake when he collected a pass from Brown and dived over in front of an ecstatic Kells End, and with Brown converting, the game ended with a convincing 20-4 victory for Whitehaven.
