WHITEHAVEN 14 WORKINGTON TOWN 22
JORDAN WEIR, Ortus REC, Friday

JAMIE DORAN led from the bench as Workington grabbed the West Cumbrian derby spoils with a comeback victory.

Both rivals went into the clash with just one win and one draw to show for their league efforts so far, and it was Town who put a run of three heavy defeats behind them to get their season back up and running in conditions which varied wildly throughout the contest.

The pitch heavily cut up at the end of the respective warm-ups, although it was Whitehaven – with Jordan Thomson making his 100th and final professional appearance – who dealt with the challenge of the surface best in the early stages.

They crossed in just the third minute as Jay Weatherill was able to ground the ball on the end of a deftly-placed kick from Ciaran Walker, who also stepped up and slotted the conversion.

The visitors struggled to get a foothold in the game and Haven’s lead was extended early in the second quarter as Walker slotted the two points on offer following an illegal ball strip on Ellison Holgate.

A triple change from Jonty Gorley shortly before the half-hour, introducing forwards Lucas Castle and Grant Reid alongside Doran at hooker, changed the momentum with Doran putting in a man-of-the-match performance to bring his side back into the contest. 

Two of the interchanges combined for Workington’s first try as a soft kick from Doran out of the dummy-half position saw Reid react the fastest to ground the ball to the right-hand side of the posts. 

Jake Carter tagged on the extras to reduce the deficit to two points, and he levelled the scores seconds before the half-time hooter following a late hit on Castle.

The third quarter belonged to Workington as they continued their momentum by scoring two tries in quick succession, with Doran at the heart of it. 

Another deft kick beat the home side and Carter took care of the bouncing ball to score his third try of the season, and convert, to take a lead they would not relinquish. 

Five minutes later, Town were knocking on the door of the Haven try line once more and Doran’s simple short pass from dummy-half allowed Jack Stephenson to power over for his first of the season after returning from long-term injury last time out. 

Carter failed with the conversion attempt for the first time in the encounter, but it wasn’t to matter as the points were secured just after the hour mark by Evan Lawther.

Whitehaven were attempting to bring the ball away from their own try line after successfully resisting another Town attack, but Ethan Bickerdike lost possession upon contact with the ground in slippery conditions and the visitors, still smelling blood, soon put Lawther in for the match-winning score.

Carter failed to add the extras for a second time but even a late Walker try, after stripping the ball in a one-on-one tackle against Carter, was too little, too late for the home side as Workington earned bragging rights for the third successive competitive meeting. 

GAMESTAR: The introduction of the hooker Jamie Doran from the bench changed the momentum of the contest, as he provided three try assists to lead his side to victory.

GAMEBREAKER: The try from Evan Lawther, capitalising on a Whitehaven error, secured the win just after the hour mark.

MATCHFACTS

WHITEHAVEN
18 Cole Walker-Taylor
19 Dave Eccleston
2 Mitchell Todd
4 Ethan Bickerdike
5 Jay Weatherill
6 Ciaran Walker
7 Jack Newbegin
16 Brad Brennan
9 Ellison Holgate
10 Jordan Thomson
11 Connor Holliday
23 Ben Pearce
13 Jack Kellett
Subs (all used)
8 Jake Pearce
15 Ellis Nixon
27 Oliver Polec
32 Liam Williamson

Tries: Weatherill (3), Walker (77)
Goals: Walker 3/3

TOWN
1 Zarrin Galea
5 Alex Donaghy
4 Braden Leigh
21 Evan Lawther
29 Jake Dickinson
6 Jake Carter
7 Dom Wear
8 Ross Ainley
14 Callum Phillips
10 Stevie Scholey
11 Mason Lewthwaite
28 Jack Ainley
13 Jack Stephenson
Subs (all used)
9 Jamie Doran
17 Lucas Castle
24 Grant Reid
33 Delaine Gittens-Bedward

Tries: Reid (34), Carter (50), Stephenson (55), Lawther (63)
Goals: Carter 3/5

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 8-0, 8-6, 8-8; 8-14, 8-18, 8-22, 14-22

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of The Match
Whitehaven: Ben Pearce; Town: Jamie Doran

Penalty count: 7-9
Half-time: 8-8
Referee: Adam Williams
Attendance: 1,448