Carlisle Rugby Club continued their winning start to life in North Premier with a hard-earned 26-23 success at Warwick Road against Ilkley.

For the first 15 minutes, the visitors had to absorb wave after wave of Carlisle attacks, until an opportune penalty gave them the chance to clear their lines.

Ilkley grabbed the opportunity with both hands, though, and took the lead when fly-half Charles Ramsay slotted a penalty after a Carlisle infringement.

The game evened out, with both sides probing each other's defences for weaknesses but Carlisle were up to the task. Breaking out well, they drove Ilkley back up the park deep into their own 22, where they kept their shape.

After a series of pick and goes inside the five-metre line, scrum-half James Telford found a gap to dive over for the lead, converting his own effort.

Carlisle were then forced back and had to defend a line-out on their own line. But they managed to steal the ball and drove forward at pace. Centre Dan Holmes completed the move, diving over for Carlisle’s second converted try, just past the half-hour mark.

Ilkley again responded well and only some desperate defending by the Carlisle side stopped them from crossing.

However, Telford was adjudged to have been the cause of one penalty too many, and given a 10-minute cooling off period on the bench.

The driving maul from the resulting line-out gave Carlisle some problems defending it, but they were up to the task, forcing an error before the referee signalled half-time.

The second half on Saturday started with Ramsay kicking another penalty for the visitors as they enjoyed some decent possession.

Off the back of an Ilkley break, skipper Joe Lowes was in close support to take a pass and go through the last defender, reducing the deficit to just one point.

Telford hadn’t yet returned to the side when Chris Auld was shown a yellow card, leaving Carlisle with only 13 men for eight minutes.

Ilkley capitalised and another Ramsay penalty put them in front for the first time.

The returning Auld and Holmes created some space and yards down the left side and centre Steven Benson found a gap and took the last couple of defenders with him as he dived over for Carlisle’s third try.

The lead was extended further on 70 minutes with a penalty try as the Ilkley scrum disintegrated. Ilkley quickly struck back within two minutes though, as a disorganised Carlisle were caught cold, and outside centre Harrison rounded the defence to go under the posts for a converted try.

There then followed a nervous last eight minutes before Carlisle were able to keep possession and run down the clock.