Last updated at 12:08, Thursday, 07 June 2012

CUMBRIA rounded off the latest stage of the Rugby League Nines at Workington with a superb victory over last season’s champions Warrington Wolves.

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The county outfit, a mix of talent from Workington Town, Whitehaven and Barrow Raiders, had earlier seen the Wolves hammer Salford 56-12, a side Cumbria had to come from behind to beat 10-6 in their opener.

But the hosts seized the early initiative with a Martyn Wilson try. Warrington hit back with a converted try on the next set, before Wilson’s deft short pass put Haven team-mate Loz Hamzat in out wide.

Brad Marwood sparked Cumbria’s next score, with Barrow team-mate Mike Backhouse also handling before Shane Ackerley’s arcing run was ended close to the try line.

Marwood then caught the defence unawares, nipping over on the short side, much to the delight of enthusiastic Cumbria fans who had braved the wet conditions.

Wilson’s conversion made it 14-6 at the break. The Wolves, who beat Cumbria in last year’s final at Headingley, needed a strong start to the second period, but it was the hosts who seized the initiative.

Hamzat, man of the tournament in the 2011 finals, notched his second of the game, this time off Town forward James Robinson’s nice short pass.

Warrington looked rattled and conceded a couple of penalties before Town ace Karl Olstrum put the match beyond them with a touch down from dummy-half. The champs scored in the closing seconds to go down 22-10.

Cumbria ended the night the way they had started it, with a battling win.

Hamzat had earlier used his pace in the fourth-minute of their first outing, against Salford, the winger proving unstoppable on an arcing 20-metre run to the line.

The City Reds hit back with a converted try to lead 6-4 at the break, but Hamzat had the final say, touching down Robinson’s impressive short kick to the corner, Olstrum converting.

St Helens and Warrington followed up with a see-sawing battle, Saints edging it 20-18 at the final whistle.

Saints started strongly against Cumbria in the next clash to lead 4-0 before Wilson stepped through to equalise.

A converted try again put the visitors in front, Cumbria doing all they could to utilise Hamzat’s pace out wide.

At 10-4 down going in the second-half, Cumbria needed the next score to keep up with an impressive young Saints side, and Ackerley and Hamzat combined well to deny them a try in the corner.

But a classy long-range try, to make it 14-4, put paid to their hopes. Hamzat was held up over the opposition line in the closing moments, though the Super League club deserved their win.

Warrington then turned on the style against Salford, who faced a quick turnaround against Saints.

Remarkably, the City Reds produced a far superior effort and looked set to win until the closing moments, St Helens edging it 28-22.

The results leave Cumbria handily-placed to reach the finals at Headingley for a second successive year, at the halfway point of the weekly rounds.

But they will face another stern test on home turf next week. They entertain Wigan, St Helens and Widnes at Barrow’s Craven Park on Tuesday.

Cumbria: Karl Olstrum, Stephen Dawes, Richard Farrer, James Robinson, Jack Gaskill (all Town); Shane Ackerley, Martyn Wilson, Danny Barker, Loz Hamzat (all Haven); Mike Backhouse, Lee Haney, Brad Marwood (all Barrow).

First published at 11:13, Thursday, 07 June 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk