Midlands Hurricanes 46-6 Keighley Cougars
Betfred Championship Round Twenty-Two
By Tom Kiernan-Wilson
Bar last week’s loss to the full-time, table-topping London Broncos, Head Coach Mark Dunning and his men headed to Avery Fields off the back of some strong form and three wins against Goole, Batley and Rochdale. They would welcome a Keighley Cougars side who are having a difficult season and had suffered eight consecutive defeats, with things made no easier as Sunday’s game represented their third game in just seven days due to fixture rescheduling.
The Canes started strongly from the off, and after only seven minutes Liam Sutcliffe looked likely to score after catching a high bomb from Sully Medforth, although he would be held up over the line to force a handover on the last tackle.
The home side would break the deadlock two minutes later as a good break by Matty Chrimes put Aiden Roden in space to scoot from dummy-half and score under the sticks (4-0). Sully Medforth would add the easy extras from the kicking tee (6-0).
Five minutes later the Canes would double their lead as Matty Chrimes would take advantage of a long offload attempt to dot the ball down in the corner before two Cougars defenders got into position (10-0). In doing so, he would become the second highest try-scorer in Canes history (replacing former Captain Matty Welham). Medforth would once again add the extras, this time with an impressive effort from out wide (12-0).
Another five minutes later would see Chrimes get his brace as some strong hands from right to left put Sutcliffe in position to feed Matty who – following a small fumble – crashed over in the left-hand corner (16-0). Sully could not add the extras from out wide on this occasion.
In a running theme from the first half, it would only take another five minutes for Matty Chrimes to secure a 12-minute hat-trick as he was put into space and beat his counterpart before running inwards to put the ball down (20-0). Sully add the extras from the kicking tee (22-0).
The Canes would then go back to back by exploiting the opposite edge. Some good hands from left to right would find Aidan McGowan in space to race down the wing and cut inside to score our fifth try of the afternoon (26-0). Sully would once again add the two points from out wide (28-0).
The final ten minutes of the first half would break down for both sides, with little momentum gained and Keighley perhaps showing their best spell of the game by forcing a couple of goal-line drop-outs. The half-time hooter would eventually sound, and the Canes would go into the changing rooms with a healthy lead. The Canes would lose Liam Sutcliffe to a rib injury, meaning Ryan Johnson would revert to his usual position of centre.
The Canes would regain control of the game early into the second half, and Luis Roberts was convinced he had scored just three minutes in by squeezing through the Cougars defence. However, his effort was chalked off by a perceived obstruction in the build-up.
Roberts would not be perturbed by that setback, and just two minutes later would make a break from a scrum to race 40 metres and score right of the posts (32-0). Sully Medforth would have no issues extending our lead with the conversion (34-0).
The Canes would extend their lead further just six minutes later as Sully Medforth would sell a dummy before pulling off a fantastic offload to Ryan Johnson who cut through the remaining Cougars defence to score down the left edge (38-0). Medforth would again nudge us further ahead with the conversion (40-0).
We would then go back to back for the second time as some wonderful handling and manoeuvring would again put Ryan Johnson in space to round his defender and get the ball down along the left edge (44-0). Sully would earn his 14th point of the afternoon with another strong conversion (46-0).
Despite there being 25 minutes of the game left to go, the Canes would not score another try as the contest would get scrappy and completion rates for both sides would suffer as a result. The Canes came closest to scoring just after 60 minutes when Ethan Newboult made an impressive run but would see the ball squirm out of his grasp as he dived over the line.
Keighley’s best spell of the game came in the final 10 minutes as a goal-line drop-out would eventually put the Cougars in position to feed Connor Saynor, whose effort would ensure the visitors would not leave Avery Fields nilled (46-4). Veteran goal-kicker Matty Beharrell would add the extras (46-6).
The Canes almost had the last word as a chip kick after the hooter led to a chase between McGowan and Keighley’s Val Matawha, but Matawha would get his foot to the ball before McGowan could ground it and a half-century finish was officially off the cards.
After 20 games the Canes sit in 8th place with 23 points and – due to other results at Round 22 – are currently a single point away from guaranteeing a top 10 (and first ever Championship playoff) finish. Mark will no doubt be aiming to ensure the Canes earn at least a 7th or 8th placed finish, meaning we earn a home fixture for our first ever Championship playoff fixture.
Man of the Match:
Ethan Newboult (Sponsored by Leeds Golf Club)
Tries:
Roden, Chrimes (3), McGowan, L Roberts and Johnson (2)
Cons:
Medforth (7/8)
Attendance:
302
