York Knights 56-10 Keighley Cougars: Challenge Cup Match Report

York Knights are through to the quarter finals of the Betfred Challenge Cup, after a 56-10 win over Keighley Cougars at the LNER Community Stadium.

Ten tries, including a brace each for Liam Harris and King Vuniyayawa, saw Mark Applegarth’s side ease through to the next stage of the competition.

A dominant performance built a 24-0 lead by half time, and despite conceding two second half tries, York’s place in Tuesday’s draw was never threatened.

After a strong couple of opening minutes, early pressure from York soon switched into a chance for Keighley, when David Foggin-Johnston intercepted an Ata Hingano pass. George Flanagan went close to opening the scoring for the Cougars but was held up over the try line.

York seemed to take time to settle, but when they controlled possession again, they scored. Liam Harris danced his way through close to the line for the opening try which he converted.

King Vuniyayawa was next to gallop over for a converted try, before Sam Wood was sent in from a Harris pass as York increasingly found space down the right.

A lovely line from Oli Field, switched into the centres for the injured Sam Wood, saw him feed Denive Balmforth to score the next try, and just ahead of the break, Jesse Dee spotted space again down the right to give York a dominant 24 point lead.

Soon after the restart, Hingano sent Josh Griffin in for a try converted by Paul McShane, before Keighley hit back. Brad Holroyd found a way over in the corner for their first points.

That try was soon cancelled out though, when a lovely flowing move across the face of the posts led to the next try from Ben Jones-Bishop after he took a nice pass from Field.

The next try came from a Keighley error. McShane pounced on a loose ball and by the end of the set, Harris drifted through the line for his second of the game. McShane converted.

Keighley got a second, when George Flanagan buried his way through the tryline defence, and Farrell converted.

This was also cancelled out, when a Keighley drop out after an error from the restart led to York regaining possession. The ball was moved left and Hingano simply glided through the line.

York followed that up with another from Vuniyayawa, and Harris added the two points to bring up the 50 point mark.

Harris went close again moments later, only to be brought down just short. However, Nikau Williams saw space to be sure York ended with a try, which he converted himself as Harris limped off, to see York ease through to the quarter finals.

York: Mata’afa, Jones-Bishop, Wood, Williams, Galeano. Hingano, Harris, Martin, McShane, Vaughan, Field, Dee, Vuniyayawa

Subs (all used): Balmforth, Va’a, Sangare, Griffin

18th Player: Richardson

Tries: Harris (10, 60), Vuniyayawa (14, 73), Wood (17), Balmforth (26), Dee (40), Griffin (42), Jones-Bishop (52), Hingano (69), Williams (78)

Goals: Harris (3/6), McShane (2/4), Williams (1/1)

Keighley: Sayer, Foggin-Johnston, Proud, Dean, Holroyd, Dean, Farrell, Michael, Flanangan, Green, Lanskey, Hill, Rushworth

Subs (all used): Whitford, Schofield, Aliyu, Parker

18th Player: Skerrett-Evans

Tries: Holroyd (45), Flanagan (67)

Goals: Farrell (1/2)

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