Sheffield Eagles 30 Workington Town 37: The mix of joy and relief was almost tangible as Workington Town’s players, officials and backroom staff savoured the Sheffield sunshine in the wake of only their second victory of the season.

It was the Cumbrian outfit’s first away win since beating Hunslet on August 16 last year and their first success against Sheffield for over a decade - dating back 10 attempts to an astonishing 46-44 victory at the now demolished Don Valley Stadium in April 2006.

And it was achieved in circumstances that might have forced lesser sides to fold under the pressure.

Desperate for a win, after 11 losses in their opening 12 matches, Town’s chances were not improved when skipper Graeme Mattinson rang in early to say his back, hurt in training, had not responded sufficiently to treatment.

The fortnight’s inactivity, due to the Challenge Cup sixth round, enabled props Kris Coward and Oliver Gordon to return, having missed the narrow defeat at Halifax, but that was quickly countered by the loss of Brett Carter, to a dislocated shoulder, a broken nose suffered by Liam McAvoy in the opening exchanges and Salford loanee Matty Gee picking up a bicep injury.

The Eagles flew at Town from the kick-off and rampaging Papua New Guinean winger Garry Lo, making his home debut, scored twice in the opening 14 minutes.

Lo’s first try accounted for the unfortunate Carter as he steam-rollered over the top of the winger and into the corner.

Declan Hulme grabbed a try back for Town in between, after a superb catch of a Carl Forber bomb and off-load by stand-in skipper Jarrad Stack.

With Forber converting and Michael Knowles unable to improve either of the home side’s tries, the deficit was just two points.

Phil Veivers men rode their luck when Sheffield fullback Quentin Laulu-Togagae was denied for off-side after darting onto a Rhys Jacks kick and touching down.

McAvoy was forced off with blood streaming from his nose just a few minutes after coming on for Carter but the Cumbrians hit back again when Jamie Doran and Jack Murphy combined to put Perry Whiteley over for the first of his hat-trick of tries.

Forber added the extras off of the far upright and a penalty en route to a total of six goals from eight attempts.

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Five minutes before the break, Doran’s stab through was collected by Forber who twisted out of a tackle to touchdown then convert to give the visitors a 20-8 half time lead.

Barely four minutes after the restart Town could begin to believe as a flowing move to the left was finished off when Whiteley crossed again with an overlap to spare, although the upright this time didn’t favour Forber as his kick rebounded out.

He immediately got another chance through a 35-metre penalty which extended Town’s advantage to 18 points.

Ben Blackmore then Scott Wheeldon, on the back of three successive penalties which earned Town a team warning, scored for the Yorkshire side to reduce the deficit but crucially Cory Aston, taking over the kicking, missed the first conversion.

Coward steadied the ship, touching down a wickedly bouncing Forber kick which bounced back off of Knowles but, with 14 minutes remaining, back from injury and Jarrod Sammut fell foul of referee Tom Grant’s warning and was sin-binned, to the annoyance of Veivers who felt the penalty should have gone the other way.

Still the remaining 12 men weren’t content to defend their advantage and a piece of magic by Doran down the blind side enabled Whiteley to claim his hat-trick and take the lead back up to 18.

Rob Worrincy exploited the extra space at the other end but Forber dropped a goal to all but seal the success with four minutes left.

Aston grabbed the try of the match in the closing moments but it was too little too late to prevent the celebrations that made light of Town’s four hour journey home.

Sheffield Eagles: Laulu-Togagae, Lo, Yere, Tyson, Blackmore, Aston, Jacks, Thorpe, Carlile, Neal, Knowles, James, Minchella, Substitutes: Worrincy, Mexico, Stringer, Wheeldon.

Tries: Lo (4, 14), Blackmore (51), Wheeldon (59), Worrincy (71), Aston (78); Goals: Aston 3/4.

Workington Town: J Murphy, C Murphy, Hulme, Whiteley, Carter, Forber, Doran, Coward, C Phillips, Gordon, B Phillips, Stack, Gee. Substitutes: Jarrod Sammut, McAvoy, Walker, Shackley.

Tries: Hulme (12), Whiteley (20, 43, 68), Forber (35), Coward (63); Goals: Forber 6/8

Referee: Tom Grant

Attendance: 494