Batley beat Keighley to set up Batley final clash

Paul Cullen hopes to see his team lift the Cup for the second straight year

Holders Widnes booked their place in the Northern Rail Cup Final with a resounding 48-18 win at Keighley.

Anthony Thackeray's hat-trick was bolstered by efforts from captain Dave Allen, Paddy Flynn, Shaun Ainscough, Mark Smith and David Houghton.

Shaun O'Grady was successful from all eight attempts as the Vikings set up a final against Batley at Blackpool FC's Bloomfield Road on 18 July.

Barry Eaton, Jermaine Wray and Wayne Cartledge got late tries for Keighley.

But that proved stark consolation for the Cougars who will now switch their focus to climbing off the bottom of the Champ

Batley booked their place in the final with Thursday night's shock 25-4 win at Leigh.

Centre Danny Maun scored two tries to help Karl Harrison's Bulldogs, who had also beaten the Centurions 32-12 at home in the league last Sunday, to their first major final for 58 years.

Batley coach Harrison was in charge of the England team from 2004 to 2006

Leigh went ahead through Steve Maden's early try, but Batley hit back through Maun and Gareth Moore to go in 8-4 up.

A Sean Hesketh try and Moore drop goal extended Batley's lead before Maun and Kris Lythe sealed it with late scores.

The result is a body blow to the Centurions, who needed to win the trophy in order to apply for a Super League licence next year.

Instead, Batley will travel to Bloomfield Road for their biggest game since the 1952 Yorkshire Cup final defeat by Huddersfield at Headingley.

Championship One

Hunslet maintained the pressure on league leaders Oldham with a 28-12 victory over third-placed Blackpool.

Luke Haigh, Richard Chapman, and Wayne McHugh gave the Hawks a 20-0 lead going into the interval.

The Panthers hit back in the second half with a try from Casey Mayberry before the influential David March crossed for the Hawks' fourth try to take his tally to 16 points and put the game beyond doubt.

Martin Ainscough crossed three minutes from time but it was little reward for the Panthers, who are now trail the top two by six points.

A converted try from Gavin Dodd four minutes from time snatched a late 30-30 draw forSwinton against Workington Town.

Tries from Jarrad Stack (2) Darren Holt, Scott Kaighan and Jack Pedley gave Workington a six-point advantage before Dodd crossed to stretch Swinton's unbeaten run to four games.

In a close-fought encounter at The Gnoll, South Wales Scorpions defeated Rochdale Hornets 30-25 to remain seventh in the table.

Both sides scored five tries, but it was the boot of Scorpions' Loz Wildbore that proved the difference, scoring five goals from as many attempts while Paul Crook only managed two for the Hornets.