Workington Town played an outstanding second half to overcome South Wales Scorpions who in the end were disappointed not to even pick up a bonus point.
The Scorpions played a gutsy determined first half and well deserved to into the break in the lead but Workington scored on the stroke of half-time which gave them the boost that they needed for the second period.
The high wind at the Derwent Park ground certainly played an influence in the result as Director of Rugby Mark Rowley confirmed.
“I thought in the first half we completed all our sets and played really well,” he said. “But with the strong wind we didn’t play as well after the break. We were unlucky to concede a try just before half-time and then we were also on the wrong end of a few refereeing decisions that could have gone our way.
“But they played to their ground’s elements. They play there every week so they know what the ground is like. They kicked well and we didn’t kick long enough to get in any good attacking positions.
“We changed our gameplan a bit in the second half and went up the blind-side too much. We didn’t do the same as we did in the first half. We didn’t push alongside the ball and went up in ones and twos rather than pushing as a team.”
The Scorpions had the perfect start to the game. An error gave them a first minute scrum and they didn’t waste their opportunity to take an early lead. Steve Parry opened up a gap for Andrew Gay to dive over after just 90 seconds. Lewis Reece converted.
Harri Greville had a chance to extend the lead but fumbled a chance after being set up by Gay when he would have had a clear run at the line.
Town wasted their first chance to level things when Marc Jackson lost the ball after a crunching tackle from Gil Dudson while Scorpions could have extended further when Casey Bromilow kicked for Andrew Gay to run on to but he was beaten to the ball by Scott Kaighan.
But Scorpions broke through for a second try on 11 minutes. Full-back Brett Carter knocked on from Bromilow’s kick on the 10 metre line and from the scrum, Gay got the final touch when Bromilow kicked a grubber to the line. Reece’s kick made the score 12-0.
Four minutes later, a high tackle from Gil Dudson gave Town a penalty and they didn’t waste it as Graeme Mattison scored a typical hooker’s try under the sticks which Scott Kaighan easily converted.
Scorpions restored the balance on 26 minutes when Greville reached over the line after it looked like the chance was missed when he went left instead of a clearer path right. Reece goaled again.
Karl Olstrum had a try disallowed for a forward pass on the half hour but Town made up for it three minutes later when Aaron Low had the strength to push past Gay and score in the corner. Kaighan missed the kick.
Scorpions looked to be going into the first half in the ascendancy with a well worked try. Ashley Bateman scored in the corner after good work from Semisi Cocker and Greville which Reece did well to convert.
The Scorpions were 24-10 up and coasting it but Town received that morale booster when Neil Frazer scored in the corner right on the hooter which Kaighan goaled to bring the deficit back to eight points.
Town’s heads were up and Scorpions were down. While down to 12 men following Bainbridge’s sinbinning for a high tackle, the home side went against the power play and scored on 48 minutes. Following a penalty Jarrad Stack went over in the corner after good hands from Jason Mossop to create it.
And on 57 minutes, Town took the lead for the first time. Kaighan was short but he laid the ball off to Jack Pedley who dived over. Kaighan converted.
Scorpions had the chance to get back into it after crucially winning a scrum on the Workington 40 metre line. Despite a good attacking set, all the work was wasted when Marc Bainbridge intercepted and ran 85 metres to score. Loz Wildbore and Jamie Murphy chased but couldn’t catch him as he went under the sticks and Kaighan easily converted.
The Welsh tried to fight back. A good attack led to nothing when Lewis Reece created a chance for Christiaan Roets. He was blocked before Bromilow’s grubber went too far.
Hywel Davies was held up over the line after Steve Parry did well and Andrew Gay should have scored but knocked on. Greville was there to pounce but the chance was lost.
The final hammer blow for the Scorpions came four minutes from time as Stack’s second try and Kaighan’s conversion denied them a bonus point. There was the opportunity for two points back in the final seconds when the Scorpions were awarded a penalty on the half-way line. Murphy chose to kick but the ball was going nowhere near the posts.
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