Cougars 24 Hunslet Hawkes 23 - If this game dosen't get the crowds flooding back to Cougar Park nothing will.

For pure theatre and seat-of-the-pants excitement even the great showmen of the past could not have engineered a more stunning finish.

Hunslet gave everything and left Cougars fighting an uphill battle. When the visitors went ahead in the closing stages it looked as if Keighley's victory romp was coming to an end.

With the hand on the scoreboard clock hovering in injury time Dean Hanger burst for the corner, and made it by a whisker.

The try broke Hunslet hearts, but send the Cougar faithful away with an extra spring in their step.

It was one of the most exciting games seen at Cougar Park in recent years, deserving of a far bigger audience, and a match for any Super League game shown on Sky this season.

Although the points were vital for Cougars even the most partisan Keighley fan had to feel for the Hunslet team. Apart from their blatant and continous slowing play down they deserved something out of this game. They gave everything, and got nothing. At times their defence was awesome, frustrating attack after Cougar attack.

They completely knocked Martin Wood out of his stride and stifled the Cougar attack, but Woody still managed to score one and made two other tries to keep his side in with a shout.

Hunslet got off to a great start when Mick Coyle dived over in th eighth minute, Chris Roos converted then Willie Swann added a drop goal to put them seven up.

Wood hit back immediately, winning the race to his own chip and chase to just get there before the ball rolled dead. He converted, but any hope of the Cougars gaining the ascendancy evaporated. Darren Hughes scored two quick tries for the Hawks, the first converted and they were full value for their 17-6 half-time lead.

The second half saw more stalwart Hunslet defending frustrate the Cougars.

They had to wait 17 minutes before they finally got a break, but what a break. Paul Harrison offloaded to Paul Owen on halfway. There looked to be nothing on, but somehow he wriggled through then accelerated away for a cracking try. Wood's conversion made it 17-12.

Wood masterminded the next try. His long floated pass to Jason Lee sent the Welshman on a 50 metre gallop downfield. He drew the cover before sending Graeme Hallas over to make it 17-16.

Again any hope of Cougar supremacy was dashed by this gritty Hunslet outfit.

A 40/20 set up field position for Richard Pachnuik to dive over, Ross converted and the seven point margin was restored with 13 minutes to go.

The Cougars threw everything into attack. Wood put Nathan Antonik over then hit the post with five minutes left as the match - and the atmosphere - reached fever pitch. The Cougars blew two good chances before they finally found the breakthrough. A break down the left saw Hallas go agonisingly close, the ball went back to the right and somehow Hanger beat the cover to the corner, another inch and he'd have been caught, or in touch, or both. But the will to win got him over.

It's a desire that is running through Cougar veins at the moment, a will to win that may see them challenge for the title.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.