Last updated at 10:42, Thursday, 22 January 2009

THE heavy conditions ruined the spectacle, but it was a case of ‘job done’ for Haven against their old rivals.

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It must have been a very different game in the old days, when these rain-sodden, muddy days were the norm.

Yet hooker Graeme Mattinson managed to make light of the conditions, producing an outstanding effort, scoring a try and supplying the break for Gregg McNally’s try that ensured Haven retained the Ike Southward Memorial Trophy, four minutes from time.

There was plenty of dropped ball from both sides, but given the weather, the defensive effort from both sides was decent.

Haven were without Carl Rudd, Scott McAvoy, Howard Hill, Karl Edmondson and Ade Adebisi, all first-choice players when fit.

Andy Gorski, often used off the bench last season, is keen to cement a starting place this year and was influential throughout, as was fellow second-row Spencer Miller.

Prop Matty Tunstall made an encouraging debut against his former club, displaying the offload game that made him a favourite at Derwent Park for a decade.

The hosts created the first scoring chance on seven minutes, Mattinson, Miller and Craig Calvert combining to break downfield. But solid Town defence ensured McNally’s end-of-set kick came to nothing.

Workington almost replied moments later, Steven Roper’s attacking kick hitting a post, Haven skipper Leroy Joe mopping up the danger.

Roper’s 40-10 kick then put more pressure on the Championship outfit, only for the scrum-half’s subsequent lob over the Haven defence to again fall in to Joe’s inviting arms.

When Haven took the lead on 22 minutes, it was slightly against the run of play, though Town had only themselves to blame for not clearing Joe’s high kick.

Winger Calvert was quickest to react to score his first, but surely not last, try of the campaign.

McNally converted and could have plundered a try when going for a typical midfield interception, high above his head, only for the ball to squirm clear, much to Workington’s relief.

The hosts double their lead on 35 minutes, Mattinson dummying over from acting half-back and McNally again adding the extras.

Miller broke the second-half deadlock on 47 minutes, latching on to Joe’s looping pass to cross out wide.

Workington could have caved in at that point, facing a team from a higher division in appalling conditions, away from home. But instead, they rallied.

On the next set, Duffy showed awareness to seize the initiative from dummy-half and cross out wide.

Ex-Salford junior Mark Hobson, another new recruit, then latched on to on-loan Scott Kaighan’s slide-rule kick to add another try, and the Barrow youngster’s conversion reduced Haven’s lead to only six points with 24 minutes left on the clock.

Both teams defied the conditions as they then stepped up the pace, fast hands along the Haven line putting Derry Eilbeck in for a four-pointer out wide.

Joe missed the conversion attempt and three minutes later, Town replied, loose-forward James Robinson bursting on to Scott Burgess’s pass at pace to touch down at the Kells End.

Haven finally made the game safe on 76 minutes, Mattinson breaking in midfield and finding McNally in support for the decisive pass, the teenage half-back then goaling to set the seal on his first derby.

First published at 15:48, Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk