Birkenshaw 4, Albion Cats 34 - The Cats brought the curtain down on a memorable season with a comprehensive victory over local rivals Birkenshaw.

With the championship already in the bag Keighley fielded an experimental line up but the players drafted in were quickly into their stride and the Cats never really looked in any danger.

In their first attack winger Julie Winrow, starting a game for the first time, plunged over for a debut try. Skipper Laura Ackroyd had brought her kicking boots with her and easily added the extras from out wide.

Ackroyd scored the next try dummying her way over from 10 metres and again adding on the difficult conversion. Birkenshaw then had their best spell in the match, aided by Keighley conceding a string of penalties.

From one infringement the Dragons' loose forward, easily their best player, charged over for a deserved score. However the half drew to a close with Keighley back on top and unlucky to have two tries ruled out for marginal forward passes.

Almost on the whistle Ackroyd again worked herself an opening and added an unconverted try.

The Dragons began the second half breathing fire but their flame was soon extinguished when Sarah Cartwright raced away from her own line. Three times she appeared to be tackled but each time she shrugged off the challenge to score a superb individual try under the sticks. Ackroyd once again adding the extras.

Cartwright scored again but for the third time Keighley were brought back for a forward pass. The next score however was perfectly valid after a flowing move involving half the team ended with Keira Burns, scoring a try near the posts which was again converted.

The last try was again scored by Ackroyd to complete a superb hat trick and she also added the conversion.

In a fine team performance there was a promising debut for Sam Spencer and Gemma Liddon just shaded the player of the match award.

So the Cats take a well deserved rest having remarkably, won all fourteen league matches, a feat very rarely achieved in any team sport.

n In their first venture into the national Under-14's Keighley Albion Cats juniors were beaten 46-24 by a strong Bradford side that have been playing together for over two years.

The bulk of the Cats players still qualify for the Under 13's so they were conceding both age and experience. Early on it looked as if it was going to be a gross mismatch with Bradford leading 18-0 after only five minutes.

However, the Cats gradually settled down and began to complete their sets of six and tackle the bigger opposition. Captain Emma Powney was leading from the front and forced her way over for the first try. Katie Lightowler adding on the conversion.

The match became an end to end thriller, each time Bradford scored Keighley responded with a score of their own. Laura Moore scored two fine tries and kicked a goal.

Emma Powney completed a superb hat-trick and the rest of the team performed exceptionally well in an entertaining game.

Despite the score line the girls thoroughly enjoyed the experience and are looking forward to their next outing which is likely to be in May at the Castleford Panthers festival.

n Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd Yorkshire girls Under-16's overcame their Lancashire counterparts 18-8 in an exciting curtain raiser to Keighley Cougars home match on Sunday.

In a match where defences were always on top the result was in doubt until the final quarter when two late tries edged Yorkshire ahead. Local girls Alex Kaye, who plays for Bradford and Keighley Albion Cats own Christina Whittaker, in her first season, both made major contributions to the Yorkshire victory.

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