Last updated at 08:27, Friday, 12 February 2010

NETHERHALL won their first game of the season in North Lancs Cumbria when they beat fellow strugglers Burnley 18-15 at Maryport.

In a tightly contested and often brutal game the home side deserved the two points.

At the start the Netherhall pack was on top giving time for half-backs Tony Nicholson and Paul Atkinson to control the game.

Phil Dixon, at open side flanker, was all over the pitch putting in tackles backed up by his younger brother Nicky.

Netherhall won a scrum on the visitors’ 22 and the lively Nicholson put in a box kick which Liam Vickers raced after to pick up to score an unconverted try.

Burnley weathered the storm and with their big back row starting to attack the fringes the visitors started to make in-roads into the home defence.

This pressure paid off when Netherhall strayed off side and the centre put over the penalty to make it 5-3.

Some poor defence from Netherhall let in Burnley for a try under the posts which was converted to give the visitors a 10-5 lead at half-time.

Netherhall’s big second row Atkinson landed a penalty after the re-start but Burnley added an unconverted try to their tally.

Netherhall’s Mark Lister collected a pass from Simon Irving and accelerated past three defenders to score an unconverted try in the corner to bring them within two points of the lead.

With the clock ticking down Irving picked up a loose ball and went on a run, beating defender after defender to score a brilliant try in the corner to take the lead.

A lethargic first half a fortnight ago at Aldwinians was turned round by Workington but not last Saturday at Heaton Moor where they went down 29-17.

Missing five regulars Zebras could not respond well enough to the 24 points Heaton Moor had scored in the first 30 minutes.

Kevin Harper landed a penalty in the first half but it wasn’t until the final half hour that Zebras were able to cross the try-line.

They got two converted tries, both scored by David Bowe, the first when he was on hand to take a pass following pressure on the home line. The second, scored near to the touch line, followed a quickly taken tap penalty. Harper converted both.

Leaders Wigton had to work exceptionally hard to beat Oldham where the scoreline of 38-7 didn’t really tell how tough it had been.

Keswick did well to draw 15-15 at Aldwinians as they were without regular hooker Ashley Gaskell and had prop Joe Roper in as deputy.

The pack was disjointed at the set scrums and during the second half lost eight against the head, so there was limited possession from that source.

They had taken the lead with a well-taken try. Brian Story made a great tackle and picked up the loose ball to tear upfield before putting John Hine in for the try. Hine converted.

It was when Roper was sin-binned that Aldwinians made their extra man tell and they equalised before half-time with a converted try.

The home side went ahead after the break with an unconverted try and a penalty, and it looked as though they would see it through by keeping play tight among the forwards.

But Brian Moll and Richard Fletcher seemed to lift Keswick when they came on and the Lakes side produced a stirring finish to draw level.

Fletcher and Carrick Wharmby were heavily involved in the move which provided Jamie McKenzie with a try. Then with virtually the last kick of the game – and from a far from easy position – Hine landed a penalty to earn the draw.

Creighton were 29-22 winners at Cockermouth in the Cumbria League in a game which had to go to uncontested scrums.

Creighton prop Alan Wharton suffered a serious neck injury and was taken to hospital after a lengthy delay. Fortunately, only ligament damage was confirmed and he was allowed to go home on the night.

It soon became apparent that his replacement wasn’t capable enough in the role and uncontested scrums were instated.

Creighton had edged the first half with a solitary penalty by Dan Greenslade.

Early in the second half Cockermouth took the lead when Johnny Taylor crossed from close quarters.

Creighton hit back to score a try through Greenslade and then almost immediately scored again through Peter Armstrong, converted by Greenslade.

Sean Ackerley converted a penalty to keep Cockermouth in touch but Creighton took control and unleashed their lively backs to take a 29-8 lead.

Mark Sykes and Tom Reed scored the tries, both converted by Greenslade.

This was probably Cockermouth’s worst display of the season but in the last 10 minutes some pride was restored when they showed what they are capable of.

Two well-taken tries by Dave Legg and Rob Ward, both converted by Ackerley, brought them to within a converted score before time ran out.

Gosforth Greengarth put up a valiant effort at Millom before going under 36-3 and Egremont won 31-8 at Wigton Wanderers.

In North One West Aspatria were on the receiving end at Wilmslow where they went down 58-3.

For 75 of the 80 minutes the game was played in the Aspatria half of the field and consequently the Black Reds had to defend from almost the first whistle to the last.

By the break Wilmslow were 27-3 ahead, Aspatria’s points coming from a long-range Steven Stoddart penalty.

It didn’t help that Jack Clegg was concussed on 30 minutes and although he bravely played on to half-time he was then replaced.

The Black Reds could also have done without Stoddart being sin-binned on 65 minutes and Jacques Rowe was sin-binned on 70 minutes.

Fixtures - North One West: Liverpool St Helens v Aspatria.

North Lancs Cumbria: Fleetwood v Netherhall, Keswick v Heaton Moor, Wigton v Workington.

Cumbria: Cockermouth v Creighton, Egremont v Gosforth Greengarth, Moresby v Millom, Wigton Wanderers v Aspatria Eagles, Workington Steelers v Whitehaven.

First published at 19:27, Thursday, 11 February 2010
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk