Martin Morgan reports from Spotland

Last updated 13:12, Monday, 14 July 2008

Rochdale 54 Workington Town 34: A huge sign at the entrance to Rochdale proclaims ‘Birthplace of Co-operation’.

Town’s Franco Kmet came off the bench to touchdown at Spotland

And both defences were certainly in a sharing mood at Spotland yesterday, shipping 16 tries in a match dominated by attacking play.The hosts had lost their previous three matches and were in no mood to make it four in the fierce opening exchanges.

Prop David Best’s try on three minutes was correctly ruled out for a forward pass. But a minute later, the Hornets took advantage of an awful Town mix-up in possession on their right side.

The hosts scooped up the loose ball and winger Chris Campbell crossed, Carl Sneyd landing the first of his seven goals.

On seven minutes, Rochdale doubled their lead after Town were penalised for interference in the tackle. The visitors could do nothing to stop prop Kyle Neale’s determined drive.

Workington made their first attack pay on 13 minutes. Jamie Marshall and Jay Duffy combined to break out of defence, and Hornets loose-forward Wayne Corcoran was sin-binned for interference.

Scrum-half Bryce Poisel’s footwork then took him to within a few metres of the line, and Matthew Tunstall’s flat pass put Carl Forber over between the sticks.

The stand-off appeared to be held up and showed great determination to ground the ball. He then goaled to make the score 12-6.

Town suddenly came alive and matched the hosts for the rest of the half. Though after Sneyd had added a penalty for a ruck infringement, they were lucky that winger Alex Brown tried to run over Martyn Wilson rather than pass to an unmarked support player on his inside.

Wilson took him down and was again in the thick of the action on 31 minutes, touching down out wide after Poisel and Duffy made quick metres down the middle.

Chris Young has been one of Town’s success stories this term, and it was his break two minutes later that set his team on the way to another try.

Dexter Miller threw a great pass for Mark McCully to score, and Forber’s kick put Town in front.

The tide began to turn against the visitors in the closing moments of the half, however.

It started when Miller was sin-binned for interference, impeding a support player as Best cut loose.

Rather than take a certain two points from in front of the posts, Rochdale opted to run the penalty. And their confidence paid off as Craig Robinson touched down out wide.

A final scare came after the half-time hooter, the hosts breaking from deep, but Young was on hand to mop up.

The second-half could not have started any more disappointingly for Workington. Forber’s kick off sailed out on the full, and Town fans cheered when Wilson, palmed back the resulting penalty kick for touch.

But the alert Brown was first to the loose ball and had the momentum to crash over.

Tunstall then lost the ball 40 metres from Rochdale’s line and Ian Sinfield capitalised.

Town were struggling to take possession and five minutes later Sneyd went between the sticks off stand-off Martin Aisncough’s classy inside pass.

David Cunliffe was next on the scoresheet. He seemed to have plenty to do when taking possession but waltzed through some ineffectual left-side defence from the Cumbrians.

Rochdale scored their fifth try within 15 minutes when Brown again took advantage of Town down their left side.

At 44-16 down, Town finally awoke from their slumbers. Miller was held up over the line before Franco Kmet rounded off a spell of intense pressure to score off Forber’s pass.

Miller was then on hand to make the most of Burgess’s fantastic break.

Young put Town within touching distance at 44-34 down on 72 minutes. His try came after Wilson broke free for a 70-metre gallop, Corcoran visiting the sin-bin for a second time after ref Mr Merrick spotted interference.

The initiative was with Town, but they blew it when Young snatched at a poor pass gifting Rochdale possession.

Best crossed for a try and in the closing seconds, as the visitors chased a bonus point, Poisel hacked ahead.

Eric Andrews took the ball cleanly and ran unopposed from deep in his own half.

MATCH FACTS

Town: Duffy, Dawes, McCully, Marsh, Marshall, Forber, Poisel, Benjafield, S Burgess, Dobson, Robinson, Miller, Campbell. Subs: Kmet, Tunstall, Wilson, Young

Tries: Forber, Wilson, McCully, Kmet, Miller, Young; Goals: Forber 5

Hornets: Sneyd, Brown, Cunliffe, Butterworth, Campbell, Ainscough, Rolls, Neale, Billings, Best, Muir, Sinfield, Corcoran. Subs: Ashe, Robinson, Andrews, Wild

Tries: Campbell, Neale, Robinson, Brown 2, Sinfield, Sneyd, Cunliffe, Best, Andrews; Goals: Sneyd 7

Referee: D Merrick

Attendance: 449

Star Man: Chris Young