Last updated 19:38, Thursday, 03 April 2008

THERE was double delight for Cumbria as both the Open Age team and the U19s beat Yorkshire at Millom.

• View more pictures...

Maryport’s Jonathan Dawes on a storming run against Distington two weeks ago

The adult team ground out a 9-4 victory on a wet pitch made heavier by the opening youth game, and the U19s cruised to a 42-0 win.

Yorkshire were in contention throughout in the Open Age clash after opening 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 - 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 threequarters 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 likely, on April 27.

It was far more clear cut in the U19 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 with Maryport winger Patrick Vaughan, Wigton winger Chris Pattinson and Egremont stand-off John Paul Brocklebank each having crossed.

Vaughan romped over again before the break and Kells loose forward Tony Burns added the conversion, to make it 20-0 at the interval.

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.

Cumbria: Rhys Davies (Egremont); Paul Osbourne (Broughton Red Rose), John Patrick (Cockermouth), Kyle Amor (Hensingham), David Sewell (Ellenborough); Ryan Robb (Kells), Eddie Robinson (Ellenborough); Craig Wilson (Millom), Graham Lupton (Millom), Kevin Thompson (Wath Brow Hornets), Mickey McAllister (Wath Brow Hornets), Ryan Moore (Broughton Red Rose), Mark Foster (Maryport). Subs: Phil Hewitt (Broughton Red Rose), Tom Sibley (Millom), Mark Haycock (Cockermouth), Richard Farrar (Egremont).

Cumbria U19: Jonathan Dawes (Maryport); Chris Pattinson (Wigton), Reece Fox (Hensingham), Aaron Low (Barrow Island), Patrick Vaughan (Maryport); John Paul Brocklebank (Egremont), Andrew Cairns (Barrow Island); Shaun Flanagan (Kells), Nathan Mossop (Millom), Jonathan Goulding (Cockermouth), Brett Phillips (Seaton), Phil Coyles (Wath Brow Hornets), Tony Burns (Kells). Subs: Scott George (Distington), Dean Morgan (Barrow Island), Liam Martin (Wath Brow Hornets), Matthew Laybourne (Hensingham).

The county action and other circumstances meant only one John Smith’s Cumberland League match was played - the Maryport A v Salterbeck Storm clash which counted both as a division two fixture and a Dale Campbell Savours Cup tie.

In a real game of two halves, Salterbeck led 16-0 at half-time having recorded tries by Ross Cape, Jason Graham and Lee Jardine, who also landed a couple of goals.

It was a different story in the second period though as Maryport repeatedly attacked the Storm. The pressure eventually told with two tries for Kieran McKrickard, but Salterbeck prevented any further breaches for a notable win.

In the previous weekend’s John Smith’s matches Ellenborough opened up the division one title chase with a stunning 34-20 victory at previously unbeaten Kells.

Elbra, who have yet to play Kells at home, may be 11 points shy of the leaders but with five games in hand the title is now very much in the balance.

Hooker Kyle Lofthouse scored a hat-trick in a win which looked doubtful when Kells hit back from 16 points down to be just 24-20 adrift as the game entered the final quarter.

If an effort for Al McGuinness had been allowed, the outcome could have been very different. The score, however, was vetoed, and Ellenborough made the most of the escape, Stephen Brough adding insult to injury with a 90-metre interception try and Lofthouse sealing victory with his third touchdown.

Barry Murdock and David Sewell claimed Elbra’s other tries, and Stephen Stoddart kicked five goals. Scott Lofthouse bagged a brace for Kells, with Carl Schofield and Lee Kiddie also crossing and Ryan Robb adding two conversions.

Richard George got a hat-trick as champions Seaton won 78-6 at Great Clifton. James McKay and Peter Watson added two tries each and Duncan Moyle contributed a try and 13 goals. Chris George, Brett Phillips, Paul Rooke, Adam McGlasson and Andy McGlasson also romped in, while Clifton could only muster a try by Kevin Wilson which Nick Burgess improved.

Elsewhere, Miguel Blanco-Charters converted tries by Daniel Rooney, Jonathan Dawes, John Dollochin and Mark Foster in Maryport’s 24-16 victory over Distington, for whom Grant Dryden bagged a brace with Trevor Dryden also touching down and Clayton Sutton kicking two goals.

Frizington beat Lowca 20-14 in division two.