Hunslet Hawks 24, Workington Town 14

CAST in the role of party-poopers, Workington Town came very close to tripping-up champions-elect Hunslet Hawks at the South Leeds Stadium,.

In what was an excellent advertisement for Championship One rugby, in front of the Sky cameras, Town matched the Hawks for most of the 18 minutes.

Midway through the second-half the Cumbrians led 14-12 and the Hunslet fans, in party mood from the start, were virtually silenced.

But they edged back in front at 18-14 and if it had stayed that way to the end, most of the 1,300 crowd would have been agreed on that scoreline reflecting, in the main, what had been an entertaining game.

Unfortunately the Hawks scored with the last move of the game, added the conversion and the ten point deficit – whilst still earning Town a bonus point, didn’t really do justice to the effort and commitment shown by the visitors.

Both sides had finished with 12 men after an unseemly fracas - sparked by Richard Chapman, who then came worse-off in a clash with Jarrad Stack – which was probably the only part of the game which didn’t reflect positively on the game.

Chapman had already disappeared down the tunnel when he was shown the yellow card in his absence while Stack had already made the long walk to the sin bin.

Hunslet had taken an early lead with a well-worked try by player-coach and play-maker Paul March which his twin brother Richard March converted.

Hunslet had a second try disallowed after consultation with the video ref but they added to their lead when a missed tackle cost Town dearly. Hunslet swept through in numbers on the left and centre Wayne McHugh streaked in for the first of his three touchdowns. Richard March converted from the touchline.

But Workington had weathered the storm well, reducing the arrears between the tries with a Darren Holt penalty and then getting themselves right back into the contest with a splendid try.

Holt found the space with a little dinked kick over the top and Scott Kaighan was there in a flash to regain possession, step round the full-back and then past the last defender John Oakes to score by the posts. Holt converted and at 12-8 it was a very satisfactory first-half performance by Town.

In fact it was Workington who started the better after the break and really when they took the lead it was no more than they deserved. Again a kick from Holt was responsible, this one from short range which came back off the legs of a Hunslet defender and James Robinson was alert enough to grab the ball over the try line. Holt converted to edge his side ahead.

But into the last quarter, after upping the tempo, Hunslet regained the lead. This time McHugh finished off from close to the line and March’s converted made it 18-14.

Hunslet had more possession and territory in the closing stages and after Stack and Chapman had been sin-binned they continued to test the Workington defence which worked manfully and effectively until the very last move. McHugh seept onto a March pass to score his hat=trick from close-range and the subsequent conversion gave the Hawks a flattering margin of victory.

Mike Whitehead, both in defence and attack, was superb in the second-row for Town with Holt, Stack, the hard-working Paddy Coup[ar and Aaron Low also effective figures.

A word, too, for John Lebbon who had to come on midway through the first-half top replace hamstring victim Brett Carter and did exceptionally well at full-back.

STAR MAN – MIKE WHITEHEAD – Big performance from the Workington skipper, tackling effectively and running strongly, he led from the front.

Town: Carter, Backhouse, Miller, Low, Frazer, Holt, Kaighan, Coward, Pedley, Rhodes, Whitehead, Stack, Coupar. Subs (all used) Lebbon, McDonald, McKenna, Robinson,.

Referee: Tim Roby, Clayton-le-Woods

Crowd: 1,369

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