Keighley Match Report

Bears beaten by resurgent Keighley

Coventry Bears 20 Keighley Cougars 46

Once again had the Bears had a good crowd and a good atmosphere at the Webb Ellis Road ground in Rugby as their time in exile continues.

Last year, against the same opposition, the Bears secured a historic first win against an established Northern side but this year the visitors proved too strong.

It took just two minutes for them to score, courtesy of a McAuley Hallet try.

Then four minutes later they were over again, this time with Miller crashing over.

The Bears then found their rhythm, with Elliott Hall again in good form.

Sam Davis pulled the home side back I to the game with a well worked try, then Hall followed him to bring the scores level.

But Keighley crushed the uprising with a try from Levey and a further one from Welham to make it 10-22 at half time.

Keighley came out the stringer side in the second half, with Dixon extending their lead and Miller gaining two poin

grabbed a brace of tries as the visitors turned up the heat.

However, it wasn't all over for the Bears as Reece Rance took a pass from Pearce Paul for a try.

Elliott Hall also added to his impressive season tally buy it was all too little too late.

After the match, Head Coach Tom Tsang reflected: 'Keighley started much faster than us and we weren't able to match their early aggression, but once we settled in to the first half we matched them and cut them open on a number of occasions. I think we were too cavalier with the ball - attempting offloads and passes we didn't need to and so turned over cheap possession. Keighley made us pay for that looseness and the second half followed a similar pattern. Its frustrating because, as we have proven across the season, we are able to match most teams, but playing consistently for 80 minutes is a real struggle for us at the moment.'