Mixed Fortunes For Cumbrian Sides In Weekend Play Off Fixtures
Cumbrian rugby league clubs experienced contrasting fortunes in a weekend of play off fixtures across several competitions.
Maryport ended their season on a high despite being eliminated from the Conference Play Off Shield after securing an impressive 42-16 victory over Clock Face Miners at the Athletic Ground. The result was not enough to overturn the deficit from the first leg, when Maryport had suffered a 38-point defeat. However, the 26-point winning margin at home reduced the overall gap to just 12 points and provided a strong finish to their campaign.
Maryport made an excellent start to the return fixture and quickly established a 12-0 advantage. Lewis Moore and Keenan Winter crossed for tries, with Moore converting both efforts. The hosts were then affected by disciplinary setbacks and injuries, with one of their regular halves sent off and the other later forced from the field. Moore also had to leave the action through injury, leaving the side to manage much of the contest without their regular half-back options.
Joe Baker extended Maryport's advantage with another try, while Bobby Bell added the conversion to make it 18-6. Clock Face responded with a try immediately after the restart in the second half, although the attempt was not converted. Maryport remained composed and continued to create opportunities despite the pressure, with Bell subsequently scoring and converting to restore their momentum.
Clock Face managed another converted try, but Maryport produced a strong finish to the match. Danny Herbert, Tyler Chilton and Luke Baker all crossed the line during the closing stages, with Bell converting each of the three tries. The late scoring surge completed a 42-16 victory and ensured Maryport finished their season with a performance that coach Mark Foster described as particularly impressive given the circumstances.
Foster said the team had wanted to finish the campaign positively regardless of the aggregate result. He highlighted the fact that Maryport played most of the game without their regular halves and praised the players for the way they responded. Although the first leg deficit ultimately proved too large to overcome, the home victory gave the Cumbria Conference side a significant final result to take from the competition.
Millom also ended their Shield campaign with a defeat, losing 50-16 away at Drighlington. The result came after Millom had beaten the same opponents in Cumbria the previous week. The Woollybacks had started the latest fixture strongly and led 12-4 during the contest, but a depleted squad struggled to maintain that advantage as the game progressed.
Dennis Hartley, Ollie Dilks and Dom O'Brien scored Millom's tries, while Jack Barker contributed two goals. The visitors were also dealt a significant blow when Jack Park suffered a dislocated elbow during the first half. The injury added to the difficulties faced by a squad already short of players and contributed to a challenging second half as Drighlington took control.
Seaton Rangers suffered a different kind of disappointment after drawing their away fixture at Bradford Dudley Hill but then losing 22-10 at home to Kippax Welfare. The result meant Seaton missed out on qualification despite having remained competitive across the two fixtures. Ben Postlethwaite and Taylor Bromley scored their tries, while Coby Walker converted one of the efforts.
There was no Cumbrian side progressing from the main Cross Conference competition following the latest round of fixtures. Several teams had competed strongly throughout the play offs, but the results left the county without a representative moving through to the next stage of that competition.
Dalton's campaign also came to an end with a 58-22 home defeat against Mirfield Spartans. The result was their third play off defeat after an otherwise outstanding domestic campaign in which they suffered only one loss. An increasing injury list had affected the Conference champions as the play offs progressed, and the shortage of available players eventually proved difficult to overcome.
Dalton's tries against Mirfield were scored by Rio York, Ross Bird, Ewan Costa and C Irving-Leach. Bird added three goals as the home side attempted to stay within reach of their opponents. Mirfield ultimately built a substantial advantage, bringing Dalton's play off run to an end despite the strong form they had shown during the domestic competition.
Distington were also beaten at home after putting up a determined challenge against Saddleworth Rangers. The visitors eventually secured a 34-12 victory at Grass Road, but Distington remained in contention for much of the match. Saddleworth's stronger second half eventually settled the contest after the home side had competed closely for around an hour.
Saddleworth opened the scoring after only six minutes when Connor Whitehead broke through the Distington defence and raced clear. Charlie Mills converted to give the visitors an early advantage. Distington responded through Kieran Worthington, who scored and converted his own try to level the contest at 6-6. Saddleworth then added two further tries through Mills and Freddie Wilson, with Mills converting one of them to establish a 16-6 lead at half-time.
Distington faced growing injury problems as the match progressed. Greg Bedford had already picked up an injury during the warm-up, while Keith Hunter and James Motum were involved in a clash of heads during the game. Full-back Jack Penrice was also forced to leave the field with a shoulder injury, leaving Distington with only one fit interchange player available as the second half began.
Despite those setbacks, Distington made an excellent start after the interval. Kyron McDonald scored on his open age debut after collecting his own grubber kick and finishing the move. Worthington converted, reducing the deficit to 16-12 and giving the home side renewed hope of completing a comeback.
Saddleworth responded strongly as Distington began to tire. The visitors defended effectively under pressure and took their opportunities when they became available. Evan Parry scored 15 minutes into the second half before Jay Taylor and Oli Chamberlain added further tries during the final 10 minutes. Mills converted all three efforts as Saddleworth secured a convincing 34-12 win.
Hensingham produced another competitive display in the main play offs but narrowly lost 16-12 at Orrell St James. The Cumbrian side had not been widely expected to progress, but they remained in contention throughout a closely fought match. Their performance earned praise from coach Andrew Smith, who highlighted the effort produced by his players against a strong opposition.
Hensingham made the better start when Dylan Bragg crossed for a try and converted his own effort. Orrell responded shortly before half-time with an unconverted try, leaving Hensingham ahead at the interval. The home side then introduced an experienced half-back after the break, and his involvement helped Orrell increase the pressure on the visitors.
Two individual errors contributed to Orrell moving into a 16-6 lead and appearing to have taken control of the match. Hensingham refused to surrender, however, and Bragg scored his second try before converting again. The effort reduced the gap and set up a tense closing period, but Hensingham could not find another score before the final whistle.
The weekend therefore produced a mixture of strong performances, narrow disappointments and campaign-ending defeats for Cumbria's rugby league sides. Maryport secured the biggest winning margin of the weekend among the county's teams, while Millom, Seaton Rangers, Dalton, Distington and Hensingham all saw their respective play off campaigns come to an end.
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