Last updated 11:24, Wednesday, 12 November 2008

Cumbria League

WHITEHAVEN went top of the Cumbria League with a 36-5 home win over Cockermouth.

Previous leaders Millom were grounded after the game with Moresby was postponed.

The clash at the Playground was a good, entertaining game in which Cockermouth played their full part despite travelling with just the bare 15 players.

John Rome was the star of the show for Whitehaven by scoring four tries but there were big performances up-front from Steve Power, Calum Jennings and Gary Blakeley.

For Cockermouth several of the young players who have come into the team this season did well again, in particular, Jason Ward, Mark Holmes, Brett Malloy and their man of the match Ceiron Williams..

It was Rome who opened the scoring for Whitehaven when he followed-up a chip through and got to the touchdown ahead of the Cockermouth defence. Steve McConnell converted.

Then when Whitehaven continued to force the pace the ball was moved wide and then shifted inside to Mike Gaffney who scored by the posts.

Cockermouth showed a lot of spirit throughout and they were rewarded for their efforts when John Taylor got over for an unconverted try.

Rome, normally a flanker playing on the wing, scored his second try soon after half-time and the lead quickly became 22-5.

Good work by the forwards saw Jennings give prop Andy North an opportunity and he raced 30 metres for the try.

Rome completed his hat-trick and then scored his fourth after good work by his centre Matt Giddens. McConnell converted both.

Egremont are unrecognisable from the side that has struggled in recent seasons and on Saturday they registered an 88-7 win at Workington Steelers.

Egremont forwards went on the offensive from the start and were soon in front after captain Marc Long was held up short. John Musgrave picked up and virtually fell over the line.

Chris Temple converted so the tone and the tempo of the game was set.

Neil Jarrett who was put into space down the right wing. Although he was confronted by three defenders he managed to step in and out leaving the defenders grasping fresh air before going over under the posts for Temple to convert.

The forwards were now picking and driving into the Workington forwards none more so than Peter Robb and Daniel Barwise. Their surging runs were sucking in the defence who were having to make tackle after tackle. From one of these runs Robb went over under the sticks and Temple converted.

From the restart Egremont caught the ball and mauled up the field before Craig Peet went blind and had a free run into the corner.

With Workington beginning to tire the Egremont backs started to move the ball and Jack Kelly managed to cut through the defence to score out wide.

Egremont’s backs and forwards combined to go the full length of the field and Temple went under the sticks, adding the conversion.

Right on half time Callum Huck received an inside ball from his centre partner Andy Donaldson and he out-sprinted a sliding defence before going over. Temple converted.

At the start of the second-half they soon added to their tally as Jarrett and Huck scored tries, both converted by Temple.

From the restart Egremont completed a mid-field move which saw Kelly ghost past numerous tackles before touching down under the posts. Temple converted.

Replacement Kieran Marshall joined the action and soon cut through the defence to score the next try.

But the biggest cheer of the match from both sets of supporters came when Workington’s winger Dominic O’Connor latched onto a careless pass and out-sprinted the defence to score under the posts. The conversion was good from John McCrickard.

It as only a temporary interruption for next on the sheet for Egremont was captain Long who scored the easiest of tries.

With Workington reduced to 14 due to injuries a typical bustling break by Donaldson so him go three-quarters of the length of the field before diving over in the corner. Temple converted.

The final play of the match saw Egremont push back the Steelers at a five metre scrum which allowed Marshall to pick up and dive over. Netherhall travelled to Greengarth and came away with a 54-0 win after loaning their opponents two players.

It was one way traffic in the first half and early tries by Carl Bell and Jonathan Burnyeat both converted by Liam Vickers put Netherhall into comfortable position.

Andrew Southwell then worked the blind side and scored a fine individual try.

Netherhall’s pack was on top and winning good ball so that allowed young lock Danny Fisher to pick-up a loose ball 30 metres out and race through a gap to beat three defenders before scoring under the posts. Vickers converted.

More pressure by Netherhall saw the tigerish Liam Thomason pick up and drive through the Greengarth pack to score. Vickers again converted.

The best try of the half was scored when Bell beat his opposite winger on the outside and linked up with the ever present Burnyeat who then fed the ball back to Bell to race under the posts. Vickers converted to make it 0-40 at half time.

With the wind behind them the Maryport side expected a big score but to their credit Greengarth tackled well and kept the visitors at bay for 25 minutes

A few substitutions by Netherhall saw them get back on top and Michael Fagan made good ground into the home 22. Netherhall won the line out and fed Paul Atkinson at stand off who put the burly Mark Orchard through a gap. He raced 20 metres to score. Vickers once again converted.

Greengarth forced Netherhall back into their half and moved the ball wide only to see Atkinson intercept 50 metres out and race to score under the posts.

Netherhall’s New Zealand recruit Wirramue Comp, who had originally played for Aspatria, dropped the goal conversion.

In the other Cumbria League game St. Benedict’s were 30-0 winners at Aspatria Eagles.

They had to make changes because of a glut of injuries and all the second teamers who came in did well, particularly flanker James Taylor. He was making his senior debut and picked-up the man of the match award.

Benny’s got off to a good start when fly-half Carl Hiddleston and centre Dean Relph worked an opening for Paul Lawson – hooker turned winger – to score in the corner.

Christian Wood increased the St. Benedict’s lead with a penalty before the second try to complete the first-half scoring. Hiddleston chipped into space, raced through to collect and then put Relph over in the corner.

The Eagles forwards were making a fight of it so that Benny’s didn’t get it all their own way up-front, but in the backs the visitors had much more penetration.

It was, however, the Benny’s pack who created and scored the third try.

After some good driving work Jamie Jardine took over and charged through before releasing number eight Steve McKeown to score under the posts. Christian Wood converted.

Lawson got his second try to extend the St. Benedict’s lead to 25-0. Steve Routledge worked the ball well and when it was moved along the line Lawson finished off in the corner.

The last try was created by man of the match Taylor when he slipped the perfect ball for Scott Wood to cross.