Keighley Cougars 33, Thornhill Trojans 10: A professional first-half display ensured the Cougars did enough to earn themselves a place in tonight's TXU Energi Challenge fourth-round draw.

To their credit, amateur outfit Thornhill put in a heroic display to lose just 33-10 at Cougar Park when the game was beyond them by half-time.

Although Keighley appeared disjointed towards the end, the National League Division Two side were never in any danger of surrendering their 20-0 lead at the break to the invading Trojan army.

A 21-point display by stand-off Paul Ashton ensured the Cougars would grab their second win of the campaign in front of another 1100-plus crowd.

"I'm happy to have got the win and got our names in the draw," said coach Gary Moorby after the victory.

"We were a bit disjointed in the second half but it was difficult to maintain the intensity.

"We were never in any danger but full credit to Thornhill. They battled hard and kept going to the end. Their guys should be proud."

It took just six minutes for the Cougars to assert themselves with rejuvenated winger Andy Robinson picking up the ball inside his own 30-metre line and breaking three tackles before sending in the effervescent Ashton to confound the full back and run home a try.

Ashton added a penalty after hooker Simeon Hoyle's pass was intercepted by an offside Trojan before Hoyle himself pirouetted and swivelled his way across the whitewash from a Ramshaw off-load.

The only negative of the day for Cougars was Oliver Wilkes limping off after an opponent's head had collided with his knee in the first half, although the aggressive forward hopes to return for next week's trip to Dewsbury in the Arriva Trains Cup.

The first-half scoring was completed by Ashton after Phil Stephenson, temporarily playing in the second row, handed the ball beautifully to his diminutive team-mate to once more beat the full back and waltz over the line.

With seconds to go before the break, the new-look, more determined Cougars were involved in the second fight in consecutive weeks.

This time team-mates piled in to help Matti Firth, who was hit by a nasty high tackle.

The collective boots were taken off the gas for the second half, although Firth dashed in from his first receiver position 15 metres out to make it 26-0 with an Ashton conversion.

Things began to get a bit scrappy around the play the ball as Aussie ref Ashley Klein failed to fully control the encounter and Ashton, who bagged six out of six on the day, made it 27-0 with his second drop goal in two weeks.

Jason Firth pulled one back for the amateur side before Karl Smith combined well with replacement Chris Wainwright to collect the Cougars' fifth try of the day.

A horribly wild Danny Ekis pass gifted Danny Howley a consolation try in the final minute but overall it was job done for the Cougars, who eagerly await tonight's draw.