KEIGHLEY Cougars lifted the iPro Sport Cup with a 22-18 victory over York City Knights after an astonishing finish to the final at Bloomfield Road.
The Knights, having trailed 16-6, came back to take an 18-16 lead with five minutes to go thanks to a remarkable try by Ed Smith.
However, Keighley won the ball back from a short restart and man-of-the-match Paul Handforth created a winning try for Charlie Martin.
York had gone ahead in the tenth-minute through captain Jack Aldous, Brett Turner goaling, but Keighley hit back to take a 10-6 half-time lead through tries by former Super League winger Paul White and one-time Knights threequarter Rikki Sheriffe.
They extended it to 16-6 as big John Oakes, another former Knights player, crossed, with Handforth, the veteran schemer who was a controlling force throughout, adding his second conversion.
Aldous created a try for Jonny Presley against his former club, Turner adding the extras, to give York hope.
They thought they had stolen it as Ed Smith superbly caught and touched down a kick by brother Pat, Turner adding the extras.
But Martin’s try provided the sucker punch, Handforth fittingly having the last say with the goal and then when intercepting York’s final desperate attack on the hooter.
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