WHITEHAVEN 18 WORKINGTON TOWN 12
JORDAN WEIR, The Ortus REC, Sunday
WHITEHAVEN recruit Brad Brennan thwarted his former club’s bid to lift the Ike Southward Trophy with a 66th-minute try.
The prop has followed coach Anthony Murray from Workington to the relegated club, who put one over on their former boss Jonty Gorley.
Whitehaven had the early impetus, scoring in just the sixth minute as Kieran Tyrer was the quickest to react to a loose carry from the Town attack. He ran in for the try, to which he added the two.
Both sides looked up for the clash from the off in front of a raucous West Cumbrian crowd.
Town hit back with the derby’s best try after 23 minutes. When the ball was shifted left to right, the Whitehaven defence squeezed in towards the middle, leaving space further out to exploit.
After going down the right-hand edge, the ball came back towards the middle and Ellis Archer grounded underneath the sticks, giving himself a simple task to tag on the two.
However just before the half-hour mark, Whitehaven trialist Mitchell Todd crossed in the right-hand side corner following a quick-thinking short-side play in which the hosts had the numbers, the final pass from captain Jordan Burns, also signed from Workington, perfectly setting up his teammate to go over. Tyrer’s conversion attempt went across the face of goal.
Tyrer tried to add two points just before the half-time hooter after Clarke Chambers was taken over the horizontal, but his attempt hit and rolled along the crossbar before before falling back onto the pitch.
Workington started the second half strongly and grabbed their second try in the 51st minute.
They moved upfield via back-to-back sets, and Jake Bradley exploited a small gap against his former team before Dom Wear added the extras to nose Gorley’s men ahead.
The scores were levelled on the hour when Tyrer kicked a penalty-goal after Jack Newbegin was hit after a pass.
Brennan had been introduced from the bench shortly before and made an instant impact in taking his side forward.
Newbegin burst out of a tackle before being hauled down just short of the line and Brennan powerfully barged his way over despite the best efforts of the Workington defenders. Tyrer slotted over the conversion.
GAMESTAR: Former Workington forward Brad Brennan made a big impact off the Whitehaven bench.
GAMEBREAKER: Brennan’s try in the final quarter regained the lead for the home side, who this time hung onto it.
MATCHFACTS
WHITEHAVEN
1 Jordan Burns
2 Mitchell Todd
3 Chris Taylor
4 Ethan Bickerdike
5 Jay Weatherill
6 Kieran Tyrer
26 Jack Newbegin
8 Jake Pearce
9 Ellison Holgate
10 Jordan Thomson
11 Connor Holliday
19 Rio McQuistan
13 Jack Kellett
Subs (all used)
12 Clarke Chambers
14 Luke Collins
15 Mason Lewthwaite
16 Brad Brennan
17 Karl Garner
18 Aaron Turnbull
Tries: Tyrer (6), Todd (29), Brennan (66)
Goals: Tyrer 3/5
TOWN
1 Zarrin Galea
2 Levi Atiga
14 Spencer Fulton
3 Rio Corkill
5 Jonny Hutton
15 Cole Walker-Taylor
7 Dom Wear
25 Callum Farrer
9 Jamie Doran
13 Jack Stephenson
17 Caine Barnes
12 Jake Bradley
22 Ellis Archer
Subs (all used)
16 Guy Graham
11 Cooper Howlett
19 Grant Reid
6 Ciaran Walker
27 Brad Long
29 Jude Lupton
Tries: Archer (23), Bradley (51)
Goals: Archer 1/1, Wear 1/1
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 10-6; 10-12, 12-12, 18-12
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Whitehaven: Brad Brennan; Town: Grant Reid
Penalty count: 9-5
Half-time: 10-6
Referee: Denton Arnold
