Dewsbury Rams 19, Keighley Cougars 9: The loyal band of Keighley supporters cheered their team from the field at Dewsbury after a depleted Cougars' side came so close to surprising the Rams.

It was the Cougars' spirit and determination which almost took the side to victory.

They took an early lead when stand off half Mark Holker kicked through and beat the home defence to score a fine try to which he then added the goal.

He put the Cougars eight points ahead when he later landed a penalty goal and it was not until two minutes from the interval that the Rams were able to score, Adrian Flynn crossing and Barry Eaton adding the goal to make it 6-8 at half-time.

The Cougars increased their slender lead with a dropped goal from Holker early in the second half and it was midway through the half before the Rams could get ahead for the first time, Flynn's second try putting them a point ahead.

The Cougars' tackling and covering could not be faulted as the frustrated Rams tried hard to score again, but they had to be satisfied with a penalty goal from Eaton and a dropped goal from Dean Lawford.

With only four points separating the sides it was anybody's game, and it was not until the last minute that the Rams were home and dry when former Bulls centre Kevin Crouthers raced through for their third try which Eaton goaled to give them a flattering total.

The Cougars included Matt Foster following his return from a loan spell at Sheffield and former Bulls Alliance back-rower Graeme Shaw - an eleventh hour capture from Oldham.

Shaw got an early introduction in place of the injured Kris Kirk and played his part in a gutsy team effort.

The defeat pushes the Cougars down to fifith place in the table and just three points above ninth-placed Doncaster, who have two games in hand, but Steve Deakin's patched-up outift now have a fortnight's break before their next match against Sheffield Eagles at Cougar Park.

By then influential half-back Nathan Antonik and speedy winger Craig Horne should both be back after injury and Deakin hopes to bolster his squad with further recruits.

Dewsbury Rams: Griffin; Baker, Potter, Crouthers, Flynn; Lawford, Eaton; Fisher, Pachniuk, Latham, Hughes, Smith, Ball. Subs (all used): Cain, Wood, McDonald, Williams.

Keighley Cougars: Hogg; Tomlinson, Smith, Foster, Hobson; Holker, Hooson; Morfett, Ramshaw, Hannah, Best, Kirk, Simonevitch. Subs (all used): Gwilliam, Shaw, Richardson, Sanchez.

Referee: P Taberner (Wigan)

Attendance: 1,006