September 29, 2001

By Steve Coulter

ELLENBOROUGH Rangers, deposed rulers of Cumbrian Rugby League, suffered their second defeat of the season against razor sharp Champions Wath Brow Hornets.

Hornets signalled their intent on keeping tight-hold of the championship and on this showing their is very little danger of it being taken out of their ownership.

Cumberland League's leading try scorer Gary Clark, improved his personal tally to ten, with a well taken double that set Hornets on course for a crucial win.

Ahead 10-6 at the break, Brow never looked in any danger of surrendering their unbeaten start to the campaign as Ellenborough failed to come to terms with the slippery conditions.

But it wasn't a game for the faint hearted, with no quarter asked or given. It was quite ferocious at times and referee Neil Byers, who had an excellent game, did well to keep the lid on it.

Phil Brown had given the hosts hope with an early try after good approach work by Jason Moore. Paul McGee added the conversion. But they never seriously threatened the Brow defence afterwards and a McGee penalty on forty-five minutes was all they could muster.

In contrast, Hornets simply 'buzzed' and further tries through 'Young Lion' winger Craig Calvert, and the deceptive scrum-half Andrew Hocking, pushed them four points clear of the chasing pack at he head of the table.

Two Craig Johnstone goals, and one from Carl Rudd wrapped-up an excellent days work for the Cleator Moor side.

Ellenborough chairman Wilson Smith was full of praise for Hornets after the game.

"We have no qualms about the result, Wath Brow were the better team and at the end of the day, that's what matters.

"Our ball retention was very poor, you can't afford to keep giving away possession to a side like Hornets. If you do they will punish you - and they did.

"On the positive side, we can play a lot better and we will just keep plugging away until we get things right," he said.

SHELLSHOCKED Glasson regrouped after the humiliating defeat at Wath Brow last week, to dish-out a shock of their own.

Enjoying the bulk of possession and territory the Grasslot side tore Egremont Rangers to shreds during a torrid opening forty minutes in which they scored twenty-two points without reply.

Sixteen year-old hooker Richard McMillan, and back-rower, Barry Goodfellow, who picked-up the Man of the Match award, were on fire for Glasson and causing persistent problems for a visiting outfit constantly on the back-foot.

Mark Smith crossed twice for the home side with Ryan Scotter also going over for a well deserved try.

Egremont did stage a comeback during the second-half and tries from Mark Chorley and David Hartley, plus a goal from Mal Caton added some respectability to the scoreline. But by then Glasson had inflicted enough damage to cruise quite comfortably.

Andy Skelton grabbed a try against Egremont for the second successive day, after registering one in the 'A' team defeat at Gillfoot Park the previous evening.

Greg Rowley completed the hosts scoring with a personal twelve points tally through a try and four goals.

Referee, Gareth Hewer was complimented by both sides on his competent handling of the game.

HENSINGHAM'S mixed start to the campaign took a turn for the worse, after throwing away a comfortable 16-6 lead to let Seaton Rangers off the hook and take the points 16-24.

With David Proud and Stuart Seager both unavailable Hensingham called-up Scott Sanderson after his five-try performance in the 'A' team the previous week, but the consistency coach Trevor Laverick is demanding, never materialised.

It looked promising at the halfway stage, leading 12-6 and seemingly well in control, the mid-table battle appeared stacked in Hensingham's favour.

Tries from Alan Rae, David Armstrong and top-talent Craig McAvoy, plus two conversions by the latter, put them in a commanding lead.

The turning point of the match came with the sin-binning of Hensingham pivot Carl Hewer. And by the time he returned ten minutes later, Seaton had edged in front 18-16 - a lead they never lost.

Tries from exciting half-back Stuart Ackerley, substitute Andy McGlasson, Ian Tinnion, and Paul West - who grabbed his sixth touchdown of the season - plus four goals from Rod Turnbull, produced the most unlikely result of the season so far.

KELLS are back in business! That was the clear message from the Welfare Ground where they recorded their second win of the campaign in a style that suggests Gary Hetherington's side are ready to make up lost ground on the rest of the section.

The Copeland side took the lead against visitors Westfield after ten minutes through a Robert Nicholson try. Ryan Robb adding the goal.

Five minutes later and the home side looked as they might run-away with it, when Dexter Miller crossed. Robb again converted.

Westfield came back into the game and after some fine inter-play Ryan Blair strolled over for an unconverted score.

With the clock ticking down, the Workington side exerted extreme pressure on the home line, forcing three under the posts drop-outs in a five minute spell. Kells, however, held firm to retain a 12-4 half-time advantage.

Two minutes after the restart, Robb edged Kells 14-4 in front with a penalty, awarded when referee Dave McGarry caught Westfield offside.

Further touchdowns in the 59th and 63rd minutes from BARLA International Dean Bragg and Paul Seager, both converted by Robb, including a magnificent touchline kick increased the home advantage to 26-4.

Westfield came back strongly and a determined flourish bore fruit in the 65th and 72nd minutes with tries for substitute Ryan Stoddart and the elusive John Hunter. Mark Rooke adding goals to both.

Kells however, compounded their victory with a Phil Walker try wide on the right, after seventy-five minutes. Robb, again striking a towering conversion from the touchline.

The final act of a contest well refereed by Dave McGarry came via a try from Lee Rutherford. Robb's kick giving the home side a well deserved 38-16 victory.

COMING into the match still reeling from a heavy defeat at Seaton which resulted in the resignation of coach Steven Graham, Wigton were left sill searching for their first points of the season as St. Nicholas doubled their tally with 23-10 success.

The Carlisle side won both Group A matches against their North-Cumbrian opponents in last season's first phase matches and Wigton again found the visitors difficult to contain.

Nichs, a different side with Alan McDermott, Alan Clapperton, Duncan Reynolds and Sean Tiffen back in the squad, led 13-4 at half-time with a try apiece from brothers Martin and Craig Stalker and a valiant effort by Steve Bitcombe. Craig Stalker was on hand to land a drop-goal after good field position was acquired.

Wigton's only response in a half dominated by the Saints, was a single try from Wayne Jackson.

Mike Marsden and Richard Nicholson powered Nichs to victory with tries after the break, plus a goal from Andy Sawyers.

Jackson replied with a second touchdown for Wigton. Justin Bennett adding the two points

PENRITH, flushed with the self confidence of a 50 plus points success the previous week, found Distington's Grass Road just as inviting with a 56-16 demolition of the home side.

Dennis Bibby, described by a Distington official as the best player he'd seen all season, did the bulk of the damage with a four try haul and was followed over the line by James Stainton, Dick Jackson, Mark Brookes, Darren Luck and Stuart Knubley. Mark Brookes landed ten goals from eleven attempts.

Distington, behind 6-24 at the interval scored three good tries through David Hill, two, and Trevor Dryden. Grant Dryden booted two goals.

THE Lions of Great Clifton are experiencing desperate times. Five games played, five straight losses.

Lowca completed a league double over the hosts in Division Four last season and were never in any danger of losing that winning sequence.

Highlight of the afternoon however, belonged to Clifton's Mark Jones with a brilliant try from the half-way line.

Other home tries fell to Gary Williamson and Barry Smith. Wayne Walker added two goals.

Lee Weighman, with two tries and five goals was the major thorn in the Lions' paw, while Luke Ennis, playing against his old club, put his name on the scoresheet with a nicely worked touchdown. Stuart and Carl Ennis completed the scoring with a try apiece.

UNDEFEATED Broughton Red Rose were brought down to earth in a tight encounter against a resurgent Maryport side.

Only two points separated the teams at the end of a bruising clash which left Red Rose still hanging on to second place in Division Two, despite the 32-30 reversal.

An outstanding performance from Maryport's Mark Foster, which earned him the Man of the Match award and an extra sureness in the boot of kicker Gary Anderson proved the slight deciding factor.

Steve Cameron, two, Andrew Cartwight, Mark Pattinson and Foster scored tries for the home side. Anderson landed six goals.

Broughton Red Rose' touchdowns came from Steve Brough, two, Mark Dixon, Ryan Moore and Andrew Armitage. David Thurlow landed four goals, Andy Edgar contributing one.

HENSINGHAM 'A,' peppered with experience, had to much guile for their Seaton counterparts, and came away 23-14 victors.

Seaton 'A' led 8-5, at the interval after a Craig Woodend try and a drop-goal from Neil Waddington gave the Copeland side an early lead.

Peter Watson replied with a try for the Rangers. Mark Benson converted and then put over a penalty to put the hosts in front.

Hensingham 'A' hit back with early second-half tries from Marc Miller, John Pilkington and former BARLA Player of the Year, Ritchie Todd, the latter converted by Gary Turnbull to put the visitors in the driving seat.

Gavin Birkett put the issue beyond doubt with an unconverted try, but Seaton crossed for a late try by Gary Humphries, Benson adding the goal.

THE Alliance derby between St. Nicholas Arms 'A' and Wigton 'A' went the way of the Carlisle side after Wigton dominated the first forty minutes to turn round 20-6 in front.

Saints gradually built on some powerful surges by veteran prop, Richard Neeves, to take the points 32-28.

Peter Graham crossed twice for Wigton 'A,' and their were tries from Tony Douglas, Brian Woodburn and Wayne Southward, who also landed four goals.

Neeves led the Nichs charge with a try double and there was one each from Paul Alcock Keith Shaw and Andy Graham. Shaw landed four goals.

FOR the second successive week, Westfield 'A' failed to raise a team for their scheduled fixture with Kells 'A.'

EGREMONT 'A' and Glasson 'A' brought forward their Alliance fixture to Friday night and produced a match played in tremendous spirit by two predominantly youthful sides.

Egremont secured their first points of the season with a 33-8 victory, despite a brief first-half revival by the visitors.

The home side started the stronger and took a nine points lead inside the first ten minutes.

Chris Butler went over for the first try on five minutes and was followed over the Glasson line two minutes later by prop-forward Paul Wells. A drop-goal from Graeme Colley, in the ninth minute, gave Egremont a commanding 9-0 lead.

The Gillfoot Park side seemed over eager from this point and gradually Glasson settled and hit back with a try on thirty-five minutes from Tristan Irvine.

With their tails-up, the Maryport outfit gained confidence and reduced the arrears even further when Andy Skelton went over for a try. The resultant conversion attempt hit the upright and proved to be the turning point of the match.

Egremont extended their lead on the hour through the Graeme Colley, after good approach work from loose-forward Michael Brown. Colley converted.

The influential Colley, revelling in the exchanges, scored his second try of the evening on sixty-five minutes. Kevin Cant adding the extras.

With props David Wright and Paul Wells dominating matters up front, Chris Butler ran in his second try on sixty-seven minutes. Cant converting again.

As the game entered its final phase, Brown crossed for the games final try. Cant, again adding the goal.

Egremont spokesman Stephen Bowes was effervescent in his post match analysis.

"It was a quite heartening performance from a very young team and the result was a boost to everyone at the club.

"Michael Brown had a particularly good game and ran his blood to water.

"Second-row, Kevin Cant, also did nothing to harm his reputation, while Graeme Colley marshalled the side very well and Chris Simcock ran hard and strong before being replaced at half-time," he said.