Carlisle Rugby Club produced a superb first-half display at Warrington in their 37-20 win.

That outstanding effort, along with results elsewhere, pushed Carlisle’s lead at the top of North One West back out to 15 points.

It also emphasised Carlisle aren’t faltering after being out in front for so long, and they are still clearly focused on the task in hand. Despite injury problems, including Josh Holmes’ late withdrawal in the warm-up, the side gelled well together, and produced some quality passages of play that Warrington found difficult to counteract.

Carlisle were on the scoresheet within eight minutes when Jason Israel broke and found Ben Purdham. He drew two defenders before slipping the ball back inside to centre Chris Auld, who powered over. Warrington then gave fly-half Grant Connon a couple of chances with penalties, and with barely a quarter of an hour gone, Carlisle were leading 13-0.

Carlisle’s second try came as Auld put winger Andy Glendinning into space down the left. Although he was hauled down five metres out, from the resulting ruck, scrum-half James Telford celebrated his 21st birthday by scoring a try.

It wasn’t all one-way traffic as Warrington busied themselves but the Blue wall held firm, and the visitors ability to turn over ball and counter-attack was something Warrington found difficult to contend with.

The third try was secured just shy of the half-hour mark as the forwards made some hard yards through a series of pick and goes inside the Warrington 22 with flanker Dan Holmes placing the ball at the foot of the posts.

Then, from a line-out, a Warrington overthrow landed in Telford’s arms. Attacking the defenders at pace, some clever interplay with Grant Connon gave the scrum-half the opportunity to bag his second and Carlisle’s bonus-point try under the posts to put the score at 32-0 with 35 minutes gone.

Warrington kept plugging away and they eventually found a gap down the right to grab their first try on the stroke of half-time. Warrington then enjoyed a lot more space in the second half, creating opportunities for the home side to score their second try just three minutes later.

Carlisle drifted off the pace they set themselves in the first half, and the space they gave Warrington allowed them much more ball in the second half, although it was not until the 71st minute that the home side managed to secure their third try.

But Carlisle responded as Steve Benson and Holmes combined, with the former scoring in the left corner.

In the last five minutes, Warrington did claim a try bonus point at the end, but Carlisle were the deserved winners.