The final place in the third round of the challenge cup, and a televised game at home against Hull Kingston Rovers, was the reward on offer as the Keighley Cougars hosted York RLFC Knights at Cougar Park.

A division apart in the league ladder, Championship side York were firm favourites for the win and progress, but Keighley came into the game determined to put on a show and hoping to spring a shock in a pre-season environment.

The cameras and commentators from The Sportsman were in attendance, along with a normally noisy and partisan home crowd.

The early signs were ominous for Keighley, Ata Hingano taking a short pass from Paul McShane to walk through a massive gap in the defensive line for the simplest of openers. Myles Harrison knocked his kick between the uprights for a 6-0 start with just three minutes on the clock.

The second try came on eleven, Levi Edwards scoring from close range, again off a McShane short pass, with the Keighley defence having no chance to stop the dive over. Harrison hit the mark again for a twelve-point advantage.

While it was a McShane pinpoint kick which initially caused mayhem on the Keighley line, it was Hingano who was the provider for the third York try as he fed Jesse Dee to go in from just a couple of metres out. With his easiest conversion of the afternoon, Harrison was this time wide of the target.

Sam Cook was held up over the line on twenty-six but on the next tackle Liam Harris went over the top of the defence to bring up twenty points for the visitors. Harrison drilled his kick between the uprights, it was all one-way traffic.

A superb solo effort from Harris, taking a Hingano pass, throwing the dummy and scything through the defence to score by the right upright. Harrison added the conversion for a 28-0 lead, Keighley just not at the races.

Thirty second from the interval Dee chose route one and crashed through the Keighley defence to score under a pile of four defenders. As the hooter sounded, Harrison added the conversion for a 34-0 half time lead.

It was business as usual two minutes after the restart, Connor Fitzsimmonds finding space to blast through the line and ground. Harrison made it six from seven attempts, the York staff starting to prepare for the arrival of Hull KR on Friday evening.

The Knights were back on a point a minute form on forty-five when Brenden Santi timed his run to take the pass and, despite a stumble after an ankle tap, crawl his way to the line to ground. Harrison was on target again for 46-0.

A moment of joy for the home side finally came on fifty-two with a scrappy try for Jack Miller despite what looked like a knock-on in the build-up.  Miller added the conversion to his own try.

A careless high tackle on Santi saw Harry Bowes sin-binned on fifty-six minutes.

Ot took York just three minutes to capitalise on the extra man, Jack Teanby bulldozing his way over the line from five metres out. Harrison added the conversion for 52-6.

A flying Miles Harrison got his name into the try scorers list, taking a looping Hignano pass and sprinting ten down the wing to dive over in the corner. The York loose forward added a touchline conversion for 58-6, Harrison with a personal haul of twenty-two points.

It was sixty on sixty-six, Kieran Buchanan getting the Knights eleventh try of the afternoon as he took a Harris pass, palmed off an attempted tackle, and went over in the corner. Harrisons kick pulled up short of the cross bar, York with a 62-6 lead.

McShane and Harris combined to give Teanby his second on seventy-two as he crossed and rounded behind the sticks. Harrison was on target from under the sticks for 68-6, a trouncing by any measure.

An Oliver Whitford interception just inside the York half allowed Keighley to bring up double figures as he went forty metres unopposed to dot down under the sticks and give Miller a simple conversion for 12-68. Some scant consolation.

Field added his name to the scorers list as the game entered its last minute off a Harris pass. This time Harrison was unable to find the target, but it was an emphatic 72-12 win for the Knights.

A top-notch performance from Championship side York who were never in any danger and went about their task in a workmanlike manner to allow Keighley no latitude to edge their way into the game. York set up a replay of last weekends groundbreaking game in Amsterdam and will be hoping that they can spring a surprise against last year’s Grand Final finalists.

Keighley Cougars: Sammut, Walkley, Whitford (T), Sa’u, Holroyd, Farrell, Miller (T, G 2/2), Bajer, Bowes (SB on 56), Schofield, Ryder, Lanksey, Parker. Subs: Flanagan, Aliyu, Cousins, McKler. 18th Man: Hartley (used).

York RLFC Knights: Brown, Buchanan (T), Law, Hingano (T), Harris (2T), Martin, McShane, Dee (2T), Thompson, Gannon, Field (T), Edwards (T), Harrison (T, G 10/13).  Subs: Santi (T), Pemberton, Teanby (2T), Cook. 18th Man: Fitzsimmonds (T).

Half-Time: 0-34.

Full-Time: 12-72.

Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-10, 0-12, 0-16, 0-20, 0-22, 0-26, 0-28, 0-32, 0-34: HT: 0-38, 0-40, 0-44, 0-46, 5-46, 6-46, (SB), 6-50, 6-52, 6-56, 6-58, 6-62, 6-66, 6-68, 10-68, 12-68, 12-72 :FT.

Lead Exchanges: York.

Referee: Matthew Lynn.