Late try costs Carlisle dearly
Last updated 21:08, Wednesday, 22 October 2008
CARLISLE conceded a late try as they went down to North Two West leaders Rochdale 13-8 in the EDF Intermediate Cup.
Rochdale, top of the equivalent league to Carlisle, and with five league wins under their belts, obviously thought that passage to the next round might come easily. How mistaken they were!
From the off, Carlisle took the game to Rochdale and had them on the back foot for much of the opening twenty minutes, and shocked Rochdale with a try after just three minutes from scrum half Ben Blain, later voted by his team mates as their man of the match.
The angle was too much though for his half back partner, Glen Weightman, to add the conversion.
Carlisle maintained the initiative for a while though, in what to a large extent was a battle of wits in midfield.
The home side pegged away at the visiting defence and on twenty minutes drew level with an unconverted try before edging into the lead with a penalty sixteen minutes later.
But, just on the break Carlisle were awarded a penalty allowing Weightman to put his team into half time, level pegging.
In the second period Carlisle managed to maintain their fair share of the ball, through some good work from the forwards, particularly pivot, Lee Brumpton who us now starting to find form after a return from long term injury.
Sadly though, the hard work having been done to get the ball, poor handling and vision in the backs meant that the side were not able to benefit.
Rochdale added an unconverted try on seventy one minutes after a spell of dominance. Undeterred, Carlisle seemed determined to salvage something from the match and the hosts had their work cut out keeping the city side at bay in the final stages.
They were kept penned virtually on their own line for the last seven or eight minutes as Carlisle tried to break through.
They were thwarted though, and despite numerous and repeated scrummage infringements, including five collapsed scrums, the mystery was why a penalty try was not awarded.
