Carlisle encouraged by cup defeat
Last updated 09:21, Friday, 24 October 2008
Carlisle were mightily encouraged by their performance in defeat in the EDF Energy Intermediate Cup.
They lost 13-8 at unbeaten North two West leaders Rochdale but there were many in the Carlisle party who thought they should have come away with a win.
Carlisle put on intensive pressure over the last eight minutes and despite repeated scrummage infringements, including five collapsed scrums, the mystery was why a penalty try was not awarded!
The disappointment was compounded after the match when the referee was overheard in conversation with his assessor, saying that he was within half a second of giving a penalty try.
Ben Blain, who was voted man of the match by his team-mates, had put Carlisle ahead with a try and after Rochdale had come back to lead, Glen Weightman put the city side level before the break with a penalty.
Carlisle did well enough in the second-half but great work by the forwards was rather spoiled by too many handling errors in the backs.
Rochdale scored an unconverted try nine minutes from the end and then Carlisle’s late efforts proved so frustrating.
Tomorrow Carlisle travel to Old Crossleyans in Halifax, a side who have made a promising start to the season. They are joint second with eight points from five games alongside Penrith and Driffield.
It’s a far cry from last season when they and Carlisle just squeezed away from the drop zone over the last two games.
Carlisle will be unchanged looking for their second win of the season after the home success over Gateshead two weeks ago.
Penrith are the only one of the three Cumbrian teams in North Two East with a home fixture and they host Driffield.
The Winters Park side should be in good heart after winning away at League leaders Billingham in the EDF Intermediate Trophy.
They should also be encouraged that they have a home draw in the second round against Carlisle’s conquerors Rochdale on November 22.
The win over Billingham by 23-18 was significant because they are due to visit Winters Park on November 8 and they now have a psychological advantage. It was a very good performance to win on the ground of the leaders who had won all five League games, including Cumbrian clashes at Carlisle and at home to Aspatria.
Billingham had led early on 6-3 with a penalty and drop goal to Steven Wood’s penalty and at half-time Penrith were fortunate to be ahead 10-6 against the run of play. Andrew Dawson scored a try which Wood converted.
The sting was taken out of the game as an elongated half-time break was needed because the referee had pulled a hamstring.
As a result the referee was taken out of the second team to officiate while Penrith touch-judge Geoff Matthews refereed the Seconds.
Although Wood extended the Penrith lead with a penalty it was Billingham who continued top look most dangerous and duly levelled with a converted try.
Fortunately Penrith came strong at the end and ten minutes from time Wood scored a try in the corner and soon afterwards Ryan Johnston drove over for a second unconverted try. Billingham rallied and scored a try in the third minute of added time before Penrith had to endure another six minutes of added time before they heard the final whistle.
They hope to be on similar lines for their visit from Driffield tomorrow which promises to be an intriguing crash. Driffield are level on points with the Cumbrians, but have an inferior points differential - 49 against 113.
Aspatria have a tough test at Morpeth although they are two points better off than the north east side.
Player coach Mike Scott, who missed the EDF Energy National Trophy defeat at Huddersfield with a calf strain, is ready to return.
But the Black Reds picked-up a number of injuries in that game with South African Jacques Rowe almost certain to miss-out with an ankle injury and Andrew Miller a definite non-starter with medial ligament damage in his knee.
Gary Hodgson suffered a shoulder injury and didn’t train on Tuesday but he might be in with a chance of playing. Props Ian McDowell and Graeme Andrews who had to go to hospital for running repairs to facial cuts should be back.
Player coach Scott said: “We got back into it at 21-10 with a try by Lee Tinnion, converted by Dan Rayson, just after half-time but then we ran into problems.
“Lee was sin-binned and we started picking-up injuries. We had some youngsters on the bench and used them, when really it wasn’t the game we really wanted to blood them in.”
Rayson, who will also miss out at Morpeth, had kicked a penalty in the first half for the Cumbrians.
Wigton are still flying the flag on the national stage after a 32-5 home win over Wallsend in the EDF Energy Senior Vase – and so too are their seconds who got through by default when Ashington pulled-out of the fixture.
The late cry-off on Friday night angered Wigton, especially as they were having a visit from leading figures in the RFU and had made quite a day of it at the club.
In the next round of the competition Wigton will travel to Heaton Moor while the Wanderers go to Hoylake.
The first team will get a chance to assess Heaton Moor tomorrow as the Stockport side visit Lowmoor Road in a North Lancs Cumbria League match. Tane Manihera, who came on as a second-half replacement in the Vase against Wallsend, will start tomorrow at fly-half and David Hanabury will switch to full-back.
Prop Andrew Bell earned the sponsors man of the match and had an awesome game.
“We wondered whether ten points would be enough but although we had the worst of the weather conditions we coped really well and Wallsend didn’t get their try until the last three minutes,” said coach Malcolm Brown.
Hanabury (2), Richard Moffat (2), Chris Pattinson and Tom Gardner scored the tries with Manihera landing a conversion.
Wigton have also added to their squad by signing Mark Deans, 25, the former Whitehaven, Wath Brow and BARLA Great Britain international and Paul Harrison, 34, who had been a stalwart at Wigton rugby league for over a decade.
Wigton coach Brown said: “We have signed two good players to add strength to the squad and things are really buzzing. The best thing about it is that they are both Wigton lads and are both coming back to the club they started with.”
Keswick entertain Tyldesley tomorrow in the League after a narrow 23-20 defeat in the Senior Vase by Gosforth.
Tyldesley currently lie second in the table with only one defeat in five games. The Cumbrians made a blistering start and were 15-0 to the good inside as many minutes.
They were three very good tries as well or Jamie McKenzie, Michael Branthwaite and Andy Wallace. Crucially none of the three touchdowns could be improved.
Gosforth came back to lead 20-15 before McKenzie pulled Keswick level with his second try and the tie was settled 15 minutes from the end when the visitors put over a penalty.
Creighton were outclassed by a Percy Park outfit that boast an unbeaten record in Durham and Northumberland One. They were eventually beaten at home 66-3.
Tomorrow Creighton face a testing game at St. Benedict’s who lost narrowly 15-13 at Oldham last week in the Vase.
