February 2, 2002

by Steve Coulter

FOR the second successive week, Cumbria's storm lashed Amateur Rugby League programme was decimated with nine of the ten scheduled Youngers Scotch Bitter Cumberland League fixtures falling victim to waterlogged grounds.

However, both surviving GMB Union National Cup entrants Wath Brow Hornets and Ellenborough Rangers had better fortune with both their second round matches going ahead as planned.

THE aptly named Salterbeck Storms' Division Two game against Flimby was the only game to survive the floods - and this, after the game was hastily switched to their opponents ground.

It was worth the effort though, as an enthralling game of Rugby League unfolded before Salterbeck emerged with a 36-32 victory.

Salterbeck loose-forward Trevor Dryden was at his competitive best against the villagers, running the show with his trademark mix of skill and abrasiveness, and his hat-trick of tries proved the deciding factor in a thirteen try thriller.

Revitalised Flimby however, came within a whisker of upsetting the form book and led 16-14 at the break through tries from second-rower Gary Miller, two, and loose-forward Ian Tinnion. Gary Hine landing two goals.

Indeed, Flimby were still leading 26-24 as the game entered the final quarter, but two late strikes from winger Dale McAllister and substitute Mark Goodwin swung the game Salterbeck's way.

Mark Gunning and Andrew Fearon with a try apiece, and four goals from player-coach Vince McNicholas completed Storm's scoring.

Recent signing Andrew Pearce continued his excellent start in Flimby colours with a touchdown, while scrum-half Hine contributed two second-half tries and added a goal. Substitute Wayne Dustin kicked a goal to complete an absorbing contest.

Flimby secretary Tony Nisbit was pleased to get another game under their belt. "Salterbeck contacted us to enquire if they could play their home game on our ground as their Walker Road pitch was unfit, he said.

"We were happy to accommodate them and what an entertaining game it turned out to be, as two evenly matched teams threw the ball about in great style.

"It's days like this that makes you wonder what would have happened had the Management Committee refused our request to start the season late and we had gone out of business.

"The Committee come in for a lot of criticism at times, mainly unfounded, but today is testament to their support, encouragement and understanding that Rugby League is alive and kicking in the village.

"They applied the same treatment to Distington during their problems and the outcome is that we have two teams playing who would probably have never returned had they been forced to sit out the remainder of the season."

WATH Brow Hornets mosquito fleet of Andrew Hocking and BARLA Young Lion Carl Rudd set the National Cup alight with a potent combination that promises fireworks during the coming rounds of the competition.

The signs of a team accomplished in pressure football were there for all to see against a stubborn York Acorn.

Behind 8-6 midway through the first-half, Hornets showed no hint of panic, and a try from Hocking bang on the half-hour, marked the turning of the tide.

From that point the Brow machine rolled into action and by the time eighty minutes had elapsed the Conference Division Two outfit's early, spirited challenge was a faded memory.

Hornets, it seemed, only needed a sniff. They were in the mood to run through brick walls - or whatever it took - to win.

The breakthrough came after fourteen minutes when full-back Gavin Curwen, joined a swift Wath Brow raid and when the ball was swung wide he shot through the defensive line to score in the corner for the opening try, which he also converted.

Yet, once they had gone behind, York set upon Hornets with a vengeance and only heroic defending, bad luck and some poor finishing prevented them putting points on the board.

Acorn, to their credit, wouldn't be denied and their positive attitude paid dividends within eight minutes when prop-forward Lee McTigue barged over under the posts after Hornets lost possession in their own twenty. Lee Frank converted, and moments later put over a penalty when Hornets were caught offside, to edge Acorn 8-6 ahead.

But that was as good as it got for the Minster side. Brow proceeded to subdue the big physical Acorn pack and use their pacey back-division to gain the ascendancy.

When the decisive score came, it was hardly big news. Hocking, the architect and executor of so many Hornets wins this season, did it again.

This time it was a brilliant individual 35 metres effort, an outrageous dummy followed by a tremendous burst of speed to outpace the full-back to the line.

Man-of-the-match Curwen extended Brow's advantage to 12-8 three minutes after the break when the home side were penalised for mouthing after losing the ball in the tackle.

Prop-forwards Paul Davidson and David Currie were a constant threat to the home rearguard and there was key supporting roles, from Scott Anderson and substitute Scott Teare, while Hocking and Rudd orchestrated the whole operation with clever options and a smart kicking game.

Teare was at the hub of the gamebreaker on 58 minutes, ruthlessly breaking through the line, he took the ball deep into York territory before being grounded, and from the play-the-ball Scott Anderson went 20 metres from dummy-half to widen the gap to ten points.

Acorn, fought back in tenacious style and were rewarded on 70 minutes when Brow momentarily lost concentration after some great scrambling defence and full-back Kevin Brundrett pushed over in the corner.

Skipper Ian Rooney capped a sound performance on 76 minutes with a try in the corner. Craig Calvert fielded a towering kick and moved the ball inside for Teare to make ground and a great offload by the forward allowed Rooney to step his way through for the score.

"Wath Brow secretary Barry Smith said: "It proved to be a really tough game. Many people thought we would have an easy passage after Acorn just scraped through against Glasson Rangers. But they had a really good workmanlike pack and a couple of excellent backs.

"The conditions probably didn't suit an expansive game and we had to put in a big defensive effort to come through."

A BATTLING Ellenborough Rangers paid the penalty for their mid-week heroics against Hull Kingston Rovers when they bowed out of the GMB Union National Cup 16-0 against last seasons beaten finalists Featherstone Lions.

Ellenborough were, perhaps not surprisingly, looking decidedly jaded in the opening exchanges and fell behind to the National Conference First Division side in the third minute, when Dave Banks struck a penalty goal.

Time after time, basic errors and over-elaborate attacking options were the undoing of Ellenborough, who went into the match without the injured Neil Humes and player-coach Jonty Gorley.

Lions winger Dave Raybould added to Rangers woes on 16 minutes when he crossed for the opening try of the game, and Banks touchline conversion extended the lead to eight points.

And when the elusive Peter Dawson forced his way over on the half-hour Rangers chances of progressing in the competition looked bleak.

Eddie Robinson again showed enthusiasm and invention as the Cumbrian side tried hard to get themselves back in the game, but the Lions looked solid and repelled every effort to breach their line.

Jason Moore and Philip Brown were both prominent but unable to assert any great authority on a game the Lions controlled throughout.

The second-half proved tight and there wasn't a clear cut scoring opportunity until the game entered its final five minutes, when a final flourish by the Lions down the left saw Simon Bickerton sneak over to seal the tie.

Ellenborough chairman Wilson Smith was obviously disappointed after their elimination. "We never really got out of the starting gate, he said.

"You have to commend Featherstone's defence and they were good value for their victory.

"It was closer than the score suggests, but they adapted better and took the few chances that came their way."

* IT was comfortable enough in the end for Hull Kingston Rovers but they had to work hard for their Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Challenge Cup fourth Round passage against Ellenborough Rangers at Derwent Park.

Indeed, Ellenborough - fielding their last 17 players standing - trailed the NFP side just 16-6 eight minutes into the second-half, and it was only in the final half-hour that Rovers finally took charge, adding a further 22 unanswered points.

Rovers took the lead on 14 minutes when referee Colin Morris awarded a dubious penalty for ball stealing when clearly loose-forward Andy Smith fumbled. Chris Charles ran a great angle to take the ball from Walker and when Wilkin appeared on his shoulder, a great flip pass saw the stand-off go through a gap to score the opening try, Charles added the goal, the first of five successes on the night.

Robins' winger Farrell prevented Neil Humes levelling matters for Ellenborough when chasing a Philip Brown grubber-kick before being barged into touch with the try line beckoning.

Back-rower Matt Schultz stretched the Humbersiders lead to ten points on 25 minutes with a blockbusting charge on the Elbra line.

Ellenborough regrouped to enjoy their best spell of the game, Peter Atherton, Jason Moore, Paul McGee and Eddie Robinson all displaying their considerable talents to an appreciative crowd.

One break by Gorley from dummy-half in midfield deserved a try but the final pass under pressure failed to find its intended target.

The half ended with the hosts defending stoutly, entrenched on their own line for two successive sets of six, before a superb 80-metre drop-out by Robinson from beneath the posts relieved the pressure.

Gorley was forced to retire within two minutes of the restart with a shoulder injury incurred as Rovers hooker Mike Dixon burrowed over for a try after three fearsome drives put the visitors in close proximity to the Elbra line. Charles converted.

From the kick-off Rovers knocked-on and in a sweeping attack involving Robinson and Craig Moore, scrum-half Phil Brown put Ellenborough on the scoreboard with the try of the game. McGee converted.

Any hopes of a comeback were quickly dispelled as Charles crossed under the posts on 51 minutes, following a bullocking run by substitute Paul Fletcher. Charles again added the goal.

Further tries from former Workington Town centre Lynton Stott on 58 minutes and substitute Richard Wilson in injury time wrapped up the win, but Ellenbororough could feel well pleased with their efforts against one of the better NFP outfits.

ELLENBOROUGH: Gorge; C Moore, Atherton, McGee, Humes; Hoyles, Brown; Gilmore, Gorley, Haney, Holdsworth, J Moore, Robinson. Subs: Anderson, Pattinson, McDougal, Clark

HULL K.R: Godfrey; Farrell, Stott, Taewa, McClarron; Wilkin, Walker; Aston, Dixon, Wilson, Smith, Schultz, Charles. Subs: Andrews, Wilson, Fletcher, Luckwell.