Cumbria can’t win the BARLA Tri Series County Championship but they did beat Lancashire 18-10 in their final game at Askam.

That means the title rests between Lancashire and Yorkshire with the Red Rose county hosting the Tykes at Ince Rose Bridge on Sunday and needing to beat them by ten points or more to be crowned champions.

Cumbria couldn’t have asked for a better start as they went ahead after only four minutes when Millom’s Marcus O’Brien slipped through to score the opening try. Clayton Sutton, of Distington, put over the conversion.

Sam Grainey, of Leigh East, scored an unconverted try for Lancashire but Cumbria finished the half well and turned round 12-4 to the good.

Sutton landed a penalty on the half hour and his Distington team-mate Phil Lister went in for an unconverted try four minutes later.

It got too close for comfort ten minutes after the restart when Jimmy Muir, of Leigh Miners, scored a try for Lancashire which Thatto Heath’s Sean Leicester converted.

The game ebbed and flowed and could have gone either way but nine minutes from time Lister’s second try clinched the win with Sutton adding the extras.

In the Under-19s Championship, Cumbria will pick up the wooden spoon after their second defeat, going under 38-4 to their Lancashire counterparts. They had lost 48-18 a fortnight ago in Yorkshire.

Lancashire will host Yorkshire at Ince Rose Bridge on Sunday in a shoot-out for the title.

Orrell St. James stand-off Jack McHugh scored two tries in the opening 15 minutes, the second one converted by Zac Baker of Rochdale Mayfield.

Cumbria were given hope when Seaton’s Billy Southward scored an unconverted try but a third Lancashire try from Will Ashworth, of Leigh Miners Rangers, gave them a 14-4 lead at the break.

It didn’t take long after the restart for Lancashire to increase their lead as Portico loose-forward Sam Lewis went over, followed soon after by Ashworth for his second.

The visitors went on to dominate the second half, despite some heroic defence from Cumbria.

Shaun Costello, of Clock Face, and Josh Thornton, of Ince Rose Bridge, scored further tries and Baker finished the game with four conversions.