Rochdale Rugby Club returned to Warwick Road for the first time since the floods of 2015.

Carlisle owe a huge amount to the Lancastrians for the way they responded to their appeals for kit, also making a significant cash donation to the club’s flood appeal.

Rochdale have not been doing too well this season with injuries and changes but, having beaten Manchester at home last week, Carlisle needed to make sure the visitors didn’t extend that form at the Cumbrians’ expense.

Carlisle started the livelier of the two teams and kept Rochdale inside their half for the first five minutes.

Gaining a penalty inside the Rochdale 22, Carlisle elected for the scrum and managed to push the visitors back far enough for No.8 Lee Brumpton to dive over for Carlisle’s first score, converted by fly-half Max Connon.

Rochdale were soon on the attack, with their lively centre pairing keeping the Carlisle defence honest. Straying offside at the breakdown after 15 minutes handed Rochdale a chance to peg the score back, but their fly-half just pushed his kick wide.

It would be the home side that put the next points on the scoreboard minutes later when a line-out deep in the Rochdale half gave the Carlisle forwards the opportunity to maul the ball up towards the try line.

After a couple of pick and goes, flanker James Brocket was driven over for Carlisle’s second try.

It wasn’t long before Rochdale struck back when, on 24 minutes, the Rochdale fly-half cheekily dinked the ball over the flat Carlisle defence into space for their centre to pounce on the ball and go over for a converted try.

Rochdale kept up the pressure and, 10 minutes later from a scrum on halfway, their scrum-half found space on the right to go through a gap in the home defence to score in the right corner, evening the scores up at 12-12.

The rest of the half was played deep in the visitors 22m as Carlisle tried every which way they could to get across the try line, but without success, as the Rochdale side held firm.

Carlisle were held up twice over the line and, despite their efforts, couldn’t find any way through.

Just as the half ended, Rochdale’s penalty count increased and they lost one of their second-row to the bin as the referee lost his patience.

Carlisle were unable to capitalise on the man advantage in the second half, and it wasn’t until the Rochdale side were restored in numbers that Carlisle scored again.

From a scrum inside the Rochdale 22, Carlisle pinched one against the head, and Brumpton collected the ball and managed to wriggle over for his second try and Carlisle’s third.

It was all Carlisle for the first 20 minutes of the second half, and they were held up over the line again as they tried to muscle their way through the visitors' defence, looking for their bonus point.

That would come on 75 minutes when, after a series of rucks on the left, the ball was swung right to replacement winger Robbie James, who found space in the middle of the park and ghosted past two Rochdale defenders to go under the posts.

Rochdale kept plugging away at the home defence and Carlisle had to look lively to keep the visitors away from their try line, as they tried to open up the Carlisle defence, looking for a way back into the game.

Carlisle managed to keep their wits about them and gradually pushed the visitors back up towards the halfway line.

As the clock was running down, you’d have expected Carlisle to keep possession and finish the game off.

However, Connon had other ideas and, just inside his own half, spotted space on the right touchline, and hit a cross-field kick over to captain Tom Graham who collected the ball and scampered 50 metres down the touchline to loud cheers from the home support, scoring Carlisle’s fifth try, with the last play of the game.

Head coach David Stout said: “It was a very welcome result in a must-win game with a well-earned bonus point to boot.

“Built on the back of an excellent scrummage, good attitude and overall work-rate, the boys can be pleased with their day.

“Other than conceding two avoidable tries, wasted opportunities and high number of turnovers, we dominated the game with one or two stand out performances.”

After catching his breath, captain Tom Graham added: “A great turnaround from last week’s clash with top-of-the-league Vale.

“I was pleased with the lads’ control of possession which has let us down in games.

“Now we need to be clinical with our possession and finish teams off.

“Some unbelievable shifts in defence and once again my front-row parternship showed their trade.”

The players have only a brief respite as Carlisle’s next game is the Cumbria Cup clash against Keswick at Warwick Road, this Wednesday (7.30pm kick-off).

Keswick are flying in North Lancs/Cumbria and this will be a fascinating encounter that you won’t want to miss.