Carlisle Rugby Club now lead North One West by nine points after a hard-earned 27-18 win at Birkenhead Park.

It wasn’t awe-inspiring stuff like the previous week, but it was a bonus-point win, ground out in the fashion of a team who can play in the manner needed by whatever is thrown at them.

After Birkenhead missed a shot at goal on three minutes, Carlisle responded with an accurate penalty from Grant Connon three minutes later. 

For the next 15 minutes, both sides tried to make territory gains but couldn’t quite find that final pass.

Things changed though after a high tackle on winger Ben Purdham reduced Birkenhead to 14 men, and gave Carlisle territory, deep in the home 22.

A scrum five metres out gave Carlisle a series of pick and goes in the right corner, desperately defended by Birkenhead. 

As the hosts were drawn across the park, quick hands across the back-line, initiated by full-back Max Connon, gave winger Andy Glendinning the chance to step the last defender for a try in the left corner.

Birkenhead quickly reduced the deficit minutes after, when a five-metre line-out gave them an opportunity for their first try.

The home side were soon down to 14 men again. No sooner had their first player returned than a second was in the bin, after a series of collapsed scrums.

Carlisle again took advantage of the reduced numbers and, from the next scrum, the ball was worked into the centre of the park, where Grant Connon wriggled through two defenders and rounded the posts for the second try, before adding the conversion.

Birkenhead got the bit between the teeth in the second half, and after driving Carlisle back some considerable distance from a maul, they won a penalty to secure a five metre line-out. From this, they drove the ball over for their second try, reducing the deficit to just three points, at 15-12. 

In the process, Carlisle lost Jack Freshwater for a yellow card offence.

Carlisle managed this loss well, and indeed just after the numbers were restored, Birkenhead lost another man to the bin from a scrum penalty.

Again, Carlisle extracted maximum advantage from the numbers and player-coach Matt Shields scored a try on 54 minutes.

But, from the restart, the visitors gifted Birkenhead a penalty.

With just a score in it, both sides looked nervy, with scrum-half James Telford binned with five minutes to go. 

But Grant Connon again scored what was probably the try of the day as Carlisle were then able to see the game out.