Gateshead Thunder 38 Keighley Cougars 18

Cougars stalwart Phil Steph-enson has urged his team-mates to start concentrating after they slipped to another avoidable defeat.

Keighley matched Gateshead Thunder for much of their LHF Healthplan National League Two fixture on Satur-day but one spell of mayhem saw the game suddenly fall out of their reach.

Peter Roe's side had picked up their first win of the season against Blackpool Panthers the previous Sunday and hoped to back up in the north-east.

Trailing just 16-14 at the break, they looked all set to press on and take those two points but leaked three tries in just seven minutes after the restart to shoot themselves in the foot.

The signs had been there against Blackpool, when they gave up a 30-4 interval advantage to see the visitors pull back to 30-24 before eventually holding on.

But there was no reprieve at International Stadium as Gateshead tore away with the fixture.

Prop Stephenson said: "We all felt we let ourselves down with that period after half-time. We stuck with them all through the first half and were probably the better side.

"We just really let ourselves down in the first 20 minutes of the second period and that's what's been happening all season.

"There's spells where our concentration just goes. We must stop doing this, letting three or four tries in inside 20 minutes.

"We've had spells in games where we've blown teams away. We have got players here who can do that but it's just putting it together for 80 minutes week in, week out."

That has to be the primary aim now for Roe, who has struggled recently to bring fresh faces into Keighley to bolster his squad.

Loanee prop Neil Cherry-holme has returned to the Bulls, while they missed out to Batley in a bid to sign another front-rower in Darren Fisher last week.

Marco Ferazano was back but the Cougars suffered an injury concern as centre Darren Nixon pulled up with an ankle problem.

Roe was actually absent from yesterday's match, having been struck down by a mystery knee complaint that left him unable to travel. Player-coach Barry Eaton and assistant Glenn Barraclough took charge.

Gateshead moved into second spot with the victory their highest placing since they reformed six years ago.

Hooker Nathan Black got them off to the perfect start but Cougars full back Gavin Duffy got his second in as many games to level up.

Thunder winger Robin Peers reached the end of a Neil Thor-man grubber kick for their second try.

But the Cougars rallied again through centre Mick Fogarty, with Eaton's conversion and penalty handing them the lead for the first time.

However, Kevin Neighbour's converted try then gave an unconvincing Gateshead a 16-14 advantage. Then Dean Thomas's side hit that purple streak early in the second half as the Cougars imploded.

Aussie centre Joel Barnes (2) and Wade Liddell did the damage, punishing mistakes from the visitors, before Liddell finished off with his second at the death.