Rugby union: Cumbria League

Last updated 15:43, Wednesday, 03 December 2008

EGREMONT continued their good run of form in the Cumbria League as they beat Creighton 48-0 at Bleach Green.

Try scorer: Egremont’s Daniel Barwise (in black), who scored his side’s opening try in their win on Saturday

The West Cumbrians went straight on the attack from the kick-off and drove into the Creighton 22 where they were awarded an easy penalty. They elected to kick to touch near their opponents’ line.

Kieron Marshall won the lineout ball and Daniel Barwise scored the opening try after a good forward drive.

Over the next 10 minutes, several injury stoppages broke up the pattern of the game, but eventually Egremont won a scrum against the head and drove into the Creighton 22m once again. From an attacking scrum, Chris Temple and Ben Jacques combined well to put-in winger Neil Jarrett.

The Egremont forwards were beginning to get on top with Ian Buchanan and Marshall winning good lineout ball, ably assisted by good driving and excellent support play from Peter Robb and Barwise.

From one of these drives, the ball was fed along the backs for full back Jack Kelly to score in the corner.

The final score of the half for Egremont came after an incisive break by centre Callum Huck who unselfishly passed out for Kelly to score his second try which Temple converted.

The second half was held up twice for two serious injuries with two players having to be stretchered off the field – Mark Sykes from Creighton and Peter Robb from Egremont.

Four more Egremont tries followed at regular intervals during the half due to pressure in the Creighton 22. Kelly completed his hat-trick as did Jarrett, who added two more, and Temple also got on the try list while adding three conversions.

To their credit, Creighton tried hard to get on the score sheet, well led by captain Dan Dudley, fly-half Mark Sykes and second-row Paul Halliday.

Cockermouth beat Workington Steelers 24-5 but the main difference between the teams was the clinical finishing which brought Cockermouth four tries.

Gosforth Greengarth only had 10 men due to several late cry-offs but opponents Millom were desperate for the game to go ahead. They had only played one game in the last five weeks and so lent them both their subs and one of their players to make it 13 (Greengarth) against 14 (Millom).

It was one-way traffic in the first half with Millom scoring six tries to lead 36-0 at the break.

Greengarth’s best spell was at the start of the second half and following some sustained forward pressure managed to score an unconverted try which proved to be their only score of the game.

Ironically it was one of the Millom players, Luke Benn, who got the final touchdown.

Back came Millom with four more tries to give them a 62-5 victory and in left winger Peter Moore, who scored five tries, they had the man of the match.

Peter Redhead (2), Brendan Wilson, Richard Preston and Chris Park scored the other tries. Park and Craig Mounsey kicked three conversions apiece

In the local derby at Lowmoor Road, Aspatria Eagles beat Wigton Wanderers 20-15.

Matches between St Benedict’s and Netherhall, and Whitehaven against Moresby were both postponed.

Benny’s weren’t happy because they lost out on £1,200 of sponsorship after Netherhall pulled out in midweek.

The Maryport club is struggling badly for front row players with Lewis Tyson and Ryan Robertson on the long term injury list; Lee Towers has an ankle problem and Paul Dixon is working away in London.

Last week, stocky winger Mark Orchard played for 30 minutes but was forced to come out of the pack and won’t be able to play there.

Secretary David Atkinson said: “We were prepared to go and play but forfeit the points because we wouldn’t be able to field a recognised front row.

“Then we were told that in the Cumbria League you are allowed to call off one game a season.

“It’s an unwritten rule and people have tended to call it ‘playing your joker.’ I got a call from Ian Shovelton, the Cumbria League secretary, on Wednesday to say that would be accepted at the weekend.

“Apparently Millom are taking that option on December 20 for their scheduled game at Wigton Wanderers.

“Ours is a genuine case and I gather we can play the game on December 13.”

Moresby’s team-raising problems have been well documented and have postponed a number of games so far. On Saturday they are due to host Wigton Wanderers.

The other games include: Cockermouth v Egremont; Creighton v Gosforth Greengarth, Millom v St Benedict’s, Netherhall v Whitehaven.