FOUR tries in the final twelve minutes saw Whitehaven smash and grab the two points from the jaws of defeat with the return of Brad Brennan and Jackson Smith the tide turner for the Cumbrians to get their first away victory of the campaign.
The start of the game was delayed for almost 90 minutes following a suspicious package being located within the stadium's ground requiring the presence of police and bomb disposal unit to inspect the package.
The all clear was given 20 minutes after the scheduled kick off and the game went ahead. The first half was a fairly even contest with a try a piece in the opening quarter with the home side getting the first points of the afternoon.
Connor Barley got the game's opening points diving in the left hand side corner on the back a fabulous move from right to left out-stripping the Whitehaven defence to finish in the corner, Jack Miller stepping up to add the extras from out wide.
The Cumbrians hit back shortly after following an uncharacteristic error in collecting a kick from Tom Halliday allowing a scrum for Haven just 10 metres out.
The ball came left from the base of the scrum through several pairs of hands before Seth Woodend grounded the ball in the left hand side. Ciaran Walker levelled the scores with his own touchline conversion.
The contest remained tit for tat until just after the half hour mark when back to back tries gave the home side a healthy advantage at the break.
Haven gifted possession around the halfway line following a forward pass and the home side took advantage with a carbon copy of the first of the afternoon allowing Barley to notch a try double.
The second of the tries saw Cooper Howlett on the end of a perfectly weighted Mackenzie Harman kick to touch down on the right hand edge. Miller added the conversion for Barley's try only with the attempt for Howlett's falling across the front of the post.
The second half started off in the best possible fashion for the visitors as loanee Oli Polec crashed over the line underneath the sticks following a fast start from the Cumbrians. Ciaran Walker reduced the deficit to just four points.
However from the kick off Walker couldn't collect off cleanly and from the resulting set Nick Staveley powered over from short range with Miller adding the extras to re-establish their half time advantage.
The contest continued with the the battle even as seen in the first half until a sustained period of pressure from the Vikings were thrown the way of the visitors, Cooper Howlett looked to have grounded the ball from a Jack Miller crossfield kick but a decision of goal line drop out was awarded to the dismay of both sides with neither side happy with the decision.
The insertion of forwards Brad Brennan and Jackson Smith with just fifteen minutes to go saw a huge momentum swing in favour of the Cumbrians.
The powerful running and fast rucks saw two set restarts given in one set and half back Ciaran Walker dove over the try line and reduced the deficit back to four points.
Walker continued to have a hand in the points as Ethan Bickerdike swooped on a deft kick from the half back to level the scores. Walker's conversion gave the Marras the lead for the first time in the afternoon.
The points were secured with late scores from Brad Brennan barging over from short range before Dave Eccleston scoring on the hooter crossing the whitewash in the far right hand side corner to the delight of the small travelling contingent of Whitehaven fans.
Ciaran Walker maintained a perfect record with the boot adding the extras to the final two scores to top off a magnificent come back to give James Newton his first victory as head coach.
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