Cumbria are cream of the crop
Last updated 12:29, Thursday, 01 May 2008
THERE was double delight for Cumbria as both the Open Age team and the Under-19s beat Yorkshire at Millom.
The senior team ground out a 9-4 victory on a wet pitch made heavier by the opening youth game, and the Under-19s cruised to a 42-0 win, with results that were sweet revenge for the big defeat in Wakefield last season.
Yorkshire were in contention throughout in the Open Age clash, and opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Hull Dockers full-back Danny Ulyatt scampered over after a period of intense pressure.
Cumbria, however, kept the visitors – and particularly dangerous Thornhill winger Johnny Campbell – under wraps from that point on, with the likes of props Kevin Thompson (Wath Brow Hornets) and Craig Wilson (Millom) prominent in attack and defence and workaholic Wath Brow second row Mickey McAllister also outstanding.
Ellenborough scrum-half Eddie Robinson orchestrated his pack and his three-quarters to fine effect, gaining due reward when Cockermouth centre John Patrick raced over in the 24th minute.
Kells stand-off Ryan Robb added the extras and, as conditions deteriorated, points were obviously at a premium in an increasingly attritional contest.
There was no further score until the 70th minute, when Robb landed a penalty, and a highly satisfactory victory was sealed when Robb kicked a drop goal in the dying seconds.
Cumbria will now travel to Lancashire, with a venue in Oldham suggested, on Sunday, April 27.
It was far more clear cut in the Under-19s game. Yorkshire were simply outmuscled by the heavy home pack, and a speedy back line made the most of a glut of possession.
The game was over as a contest by the time the opening quarter was out, Maryport winger Patrick Vaughan, Wigton winger Chris Pattinson and Egremont stand-off John Paul Brocklebank having crossed. Vaughan romped over again before the break, Kells loose-forward Tony Burns adding the conversion, to help forge a 20-0 interval lead, and it was a similar story in the second period.
Hooker Nathan Mossop, of Millom, worked his way over from dummy half, Burns added a try and four more goals for a 14-point haul, and there were touchdowns by centres Reece Fox and Aaron Law, of Hensingham and Barrow Island respectively.
Only one club game took place over the weekend as the remainder of the fixtures were postponed due to call-ups to the Cumbria teams.
Salterbeck Storm beat Maryport A 16-8 in a game that was treated as a Division Two fixture and a Dale Campbell Savours Cup tie.
