Hunslet Hawks 22 Keighley Cougars 4

Barry Eaton cited a shocking pitch and a dodgy refereeing decision as reasons behind the Cougars' latest defeat.

The gutted visitors had kept Hawks pointless until the 65th minute of a drab encounter but then collapsed, conceding four tries.

Two Eaton penalties had the Cougars edging home at 4-0 heading into the final quarter before the match turned dramatically.

The player-coach blamed Ian Smith after the referee penalised his side in the build-up to Hunslet's decisive first score.

Eaton continued: "It was probably an even game but they then scored their first try on the back of a very, very dubious refereeing decision.

"Their man lost the ball in the tackle and the touch judge said it had been ripped.

"From the resulting penalty Darren Robinson scored a try, converted it, we're 6-4 down after such commitment and hard work and our heads probably did go down too.

"But we feel aggrieved. I'll need to speak to the RFL about it because it's been a massive, massive call." Hunslet then opened up with a further three touchdowns to brighten up what had been a terrible spectacle.

The South Leeds Stadium pitch resembled a mudbath and the rain ensured handling wasn't easy, although the latter can't be used as an excuse for some of the woeful ball retention by both sides.

However, Eaton was amazed, and added: "They are as bad a conditions that I've ever played in and I'm knocking on in years having playing in winter and summer.

"I think they're having problems with the drains here and it certainly hasn't helped us. It was ankle deep in mud in some spots."

The Cougars went close early on with Gavin Duffy and Matt Foster both nearly getting over down the left-hand side.

Hunslet bombed their own chances through Danny Ekis and winger Danny Dixon who knocked on trying to pick up Anthony Gibbons' clever kick from a scrum but they gave Alex Brown a torrid time in doing so.

The young Keighley winger failed to deal with a number of kicks and was dragged off after only 20 minutes to be replaced by Karl Smith. Full back Duffy did well to bring Dixon down soon after when Dave Foster had put him clear and he ignored the support inside to go himself.

Eaton slotted his first penalty on 30 minutes when Brown copped Richard Knight with a high shot, but Robinson missed a simple effort just before the hooter to leave Keighley 2-0 up at the break.

The shootout continued after the restart until the 58th minute when Eaton added another penalty after Robinson stamped on Duffy at the play-the-ball.

But he made up for his misdemeanor by getting that controversial try to put his team in front and Hawks roused themselves with three further efforts.

Brown put winger Adrian Flynn away down the left and after they exchanged passes Danny Cook was soon going in as the Cougars defence desperately tried to scramble.

They rubbed Cougars noses in it when full back Mark Sibson got on the outside of centre Matt Bramald to leave him clutching thin air and Williams added another goal from out wide to leave a lop-sided scoreline.