Blackpool Panthers 24, Workington Town 10

THERE was a pre-match suspicion that this was the right time to play Blackpool following two successive defeats.

The departure of the chairman and the threat from coach Martin Crompton that he was likely to follow because of financial problems suggested all was not well at Woodlands.

When Town turned round 10-6 at half-time, after dominating their hosts for much of the first-half, there was every reason to believe that they could go on and see the job through.

But what followed – an improved show by the Panthers, some naivety from Town and some refereeing decisions which left the Cumbrians mystified - ended with the visitors not even able to take back a bonus point.

We have been used to in-and-out performances from Town this season – a lack of consistency in 80 minutes, never mind game to game but this wasn’t the most glaring example.

In the first-half Town played as well as they have done in any 40 minutes so far. They fell behind to a converted try on four minutes and then had the better of things, forcing Blackpool into errors, while generally enjoying more possession and territory.

Some of the committed tackling, with Town hunting in packs and lifting, driving and pushing opponents back yards in the process, was excellent.

They also set-up a number of promising situations near the Blackpool line but unfortunately a lack of craft and guile, which was again to hamper their progress later in the game, meant they couldn’t build a substantial lead.

But there was never more than one score between the two sides until John Clough went over on 68 minutes and Workington’s efforts deserved something but were denied when Tom Hemmingway shot through score from the last move of the match.

Joint coach Gary Charlton said: “We did very well in the first-half but some of our old faults surfaced in the second. Again we just seem to be saying the same thing, week in and week out.

“I can’t fault the lads for effort. They put it in again but we just don’t seem smart enough in areas we need to be.”
Blackpool had lost at York and Oldham to suggest the bubble had burst and with a change of chairman and a strong quote from  coach Crompton that he was considering his future, the Panthers looked vulnerable.

That didn’t seem to be the case when full-back Damian Munro swept through on four minutes and found Martin Ainscough in support as he stepped inside John Lebbon to go in behind the posts for Hemmingway to convert.

But Workington responded well, hounding and harassing, tackling in threes and regularly forcing Blackpool to cough up the ball.

They should have been on the score-sheet themselves on 12 minutes when Mike Whitehead linked with centre Andrew Beattie but his pass to the unmarked Mike Backhouse was behind the winger and rolled into touch a few yards from the line.

It was only a temporary set-back for Town as they had reduced the arrears four minutes later.

Brett Carter, operating at half-back alongside Scott Kaighan in the absence of both Liam Finch and Darren Holt, saw an opportunity at the Blackpool defence from 15 metres out and he skipped through past some flailing missed tackles to touchdown for a fine individual try. Kaighan missed the conversion.

On 26 minutes it was Carter who gave Town the lead. The ball went to ground inside the Workington half an with half the Blackpool players stopping expecting a whistle the Town half-back picked-up and then had the pace to beat the covering defenders who frantically realised the referee was playing on. This time Kaighan converted and Town were able to take the lead into the break.

What they didn’t need was to concede a try four minutes after the restart. It was former Town player Carl Forber who made a telling break from his own half, found support in Munro and when he threw a pass inside the bounce was kind for Danny Halliwell who thundered over for a try which Hemmingway converted.

Both terms then spent time on the opposition line and only good defence kept the sides locked at two points apart. But it was at this stage that Town really lacked a smart operator to fashion the chances.

They paid the price when Blackpool stretched their lead with a crucial try on 68 minutes when John Clough dived and stretched over the line from close range. Hemmingway converted.

Neil Frazer was close to a try for Town late on when he scrambled for the corner but couldn’t get the ball down.

The final slap in the face after that was when Blackpool went down the other end and Hemingway raced in for a try which he converted to seal victory and deny Town their bonus point.

It was a defeat which saw Town slip out of the play-off positions making next week’s visit to Swinton – the team that replaced them in the top seven – a six-pointer.

http://www.getnoticedonline.co.uk/audio/ged-stokes/gary-charlton-v-blackpool.html

Town: Lebbon, Backhouse, Beattie, Low, Frazer, Carter, Kaighan, Coward, Hewitt, Whitehead, Campbell, Stack, Coupar. Subs (all used) Marshall, Robinson, Rhodes, Johnson.

Tries: Carter (2). Goal: Kaighan

Blackpool: Munro, Miller, Llewellyn, Ainscough, Woodcock, Forber, Hemmingway, Anderson, Clough, Ratcliff, Halliwell, McCully, Haggerty. Subs (all used) Keaveney, Boland, Thomas, Svabic.

Tries: Ainscough, Helliwell, Clough, Hemmingway. Goals: Hemmingway (4).

HT 6-10     Crowd:248      Referee: Clint Sharrad, Wigan

STAR MAN – BRETT CARTER: Always a livewire for Town and the scorer of two good tries – one individual, the other opportunist. Workington’s form player.

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