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 WORKINGTON Town are set to sign Whitehaven prop forward Gary McDonald on his release from Whitehaven.
Getnoticedonline.co.uk exclusively revealed last week that Haven were releasing Mick Govin and McDonald, at the same time as general manager Nigel Beaty was leaving the club as part of a cost cutting measure.
West Cumbrian McDonald hasn’t been able to command a regular first team spot at the Recreation Ground but will beef-up the Town pack in Co-operative Championship One.
He has previously played for the Widnes Vikings in Super League and has had spells at Leeds, Dewsbury, Halifax and the York City Knights. He's shown in action alongside scoring a try against Huddersfield.
With Jamie Butler, Lee Dutton, Reuiri McGoff and Kris Coward all in the squad, and veteran Stewart Rhodes expected back to training this week, Town have plenty of options up-front. However McGoff and Butler are both on loan arrangements from Barrow and may have to return to Craven Park shortly.
Town are back in action on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon (1pm) when another of the season’s surprise packets Hunslet Hawks visit Derwent Park.
Hunslet currently top the table, level on point with Blackpool and Oldham, although the Hawks have played a game more.
Town have dropped out of the play-off positions but do have matches in hand over York, South Wales, Rochdale and Doncaster who are all in their sights.
Yesterday Town beat neighbours Workington Zebras 32-4 in a Cross Code Challenge which was arranged to raise funds for the Cumbria Flood Fund and the PC Barker Police Fund. It was a game which had originally been planned for January in the wake of the November floods which devastated the area and cost officer Barker his life.
About 400 people watched the game – the first 40 minutes consisting of rugby union with rugby league concentrating the minds over the second period.
In fact Town adapted well to union in the first half and actually led 10-4 at he break.
Also equally admirably Zebras coped very well with the switch to rugby league and it was only a late surge of scoring by Town – three tries in the last eight minutes - which carried them to a comfortable victory.
Town had gone in front on four minutes when Jamie Marshall moved in quickly to take John Chisnall as he caught a pass. Marshall came away with the ball and raced 35 metres for the opening try.
The Zebras did best when they kept the ball tight among the forwards and used their mauling expertise to make ground and pressurise the Town defence. It proved vey effective on 11 minutes when the pack drove over the line and Ben Lanigan was credited with the touchdown.
The only other score of the half came on 23 minutes when Neil Frazer sliced through impressively, found Andrew Beattie in support and quick hand sent Scott Kaighan racing away to sore under the posts. Kaighan converted.
Workington Zebras showed a lot of spirited tackling in the second-half when the challenge switched to rugby league but they could not prevent Phil Hewitt sneaking over from close range on 55 minutes.
By this time Rugby League legend Gary Schofield had joined the action and he showed he had lost none of his handling skills hen he linked with Beattie to put Aaron Low in for the fourth try on 65 minutes.
Town forced the pace in he closing ten minutes and the Zebras distinguished themselves with some spirited defence.
But on 72 minutes Beattie strode through for a try and Schofield couldn’t believe it when he took on the kicking duties and poked the conversion wide from in front of the posts.
Then Marshall took over, showing his pace and tenacity to score two more tries and complete his hat-trick. He ran the last one in behind the posts and this time Schofield put over the conversion.
It was an entertaining contest, played in the right spirit, and the only concern for Town coach Gary Charlton was that he lost hooker Darren King with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
The Zebras’ young full-back Jonny Howarth had also to be assisted off the field when he took a heavy knock.
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