A relegation play off against the Swinton Lions awaited the victory of a League One play off match between the Keighley Cougars and Hunslet in a West Yorkshire to derby to earn the chance to join Oldham and be playing their rugby in the Championship in the 2025 season.
The home side were big favourites with the bookies to win the game, but Hunslet have sprung a few surprises in 2024 including a win at Cougar Park in May by 26-18.
What was certain was that neither side would die wondering.
The sides were evenly matched in the opening exchanges.
After sustaining a long period of Keighley pressure, it was Hunslet who opened the scoring through Ethan Wood after a rolling passing move over fifty metres downfield. Beharrell kicked the conversion, wind assisted, for a 6-0 lead with fifteen on the clock.
A brilliant effort from Matty Fletcher prevented Mark Ioane from grounding after he went over on his back on twenty-three. On twenty-five Beharrell missed a penalty attempt which he should really have converted but Keighley were becoming increasingly frustrated.
On the half hour Hunslet were in again, this time it was Mackenzie Turner who found space to cross down the right-hand side on the overlap to stun the home side. The Beharrell conversion was wide of the mark, the visitors with a 10-0 lead, totally against pre-match expectations.
A late tackle on the kicker from George Flanagan Snr gifted Hunslet another penalty in a kickable position, the veteran Keighley man being sent to the sinbin for a ten-minute rest. Beharrell kicked the points for 12-0 as the game headed to the interval.
Keighley spilled the ball on the line in the dying seconds, Hunslet taking a hard-earned lead into the sheds.
On fifty-five Flanagan Snr redeemed himself for his earlier misdemeanour as he went over the top of the tacklers from close in and reached above his head to ground the ball. Jack Miller added the conversion from bang in front and Keighley had a lifeline as they trailed by six points with over twenty minutes remaining.
Adam Ryder had a try was denied a second Keighley try for a double movement on sixty-one, the home side on the ascendancy but a careless high tackle on Beharrell allowed the Hunslet man to extend the score to eight points.
On sixty-six Jack Render scored spectacularly in the left corner as he leapt for the flag to force the ball down and take the game away from Keighley for a famous victory. Beharrell was unable to add the conversion, the lead now twelve points.
As the game ticked past seventy minutes an attempted Michael Knowles drop goal was a shambles, but they managed to force a goal line dropout.
A Hunslet penalty under the shadow the sticks allowed Beharrell to put over a simple goal to extend the lead to fourteen points and put his side into the relegation play-off next Sunday for a chance to play Championship rugby in 2025.
Hatton was yellow and then red carded for Keighley for dissent on seventy-four, as if the task wasn´t hard enough.
Hunslet overcame the odds and the expectations to win a game which almost everyone believed that they would lose and extend their season by another week. Keighley will lick their wounds and look to build again next season for another tilt at the Championship.
Keighley Cougars: Thomas, Walkley, Tyder, Robson, Sa’u, Dean, Miller (1/1 G), Maher, Brown, Revell, Lynam, Lanskey, Parker. Subs: Flanagan (T, SB on 38), Ioane, England, Hatton (SB then SO on 74). 18thMan: Schofield.
Hunslet: Flanagan, Turner (T), Goddard, Ferreira, Render (T), Knowles, Beharrell (4/6 G), Carr, Whitmore, Fletcher, Wood (T), Levy, Syme. Subs: Berry, Hallas, Wray, O'Hanlon. 18th Man: Rhodes.
Half-Time: 0-12.
Full-Time: 6-20.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-10, (SB), 0-12 : HT: 4-12, 6-12, 6-14, 6-18, 6-20, (SB), (SO) :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Hunslet.
Referee: Cameron Worsley.
