Furness 18 Cockermouth 38

FURNESS’S hopes of a top-three Cumbria League finish were dented with a heavy home defeat against the North Cumbrians.

The sides had met twice previously this season – with honours even – so there was everything to play ahead of this game at The Strawberry Grounds.

The Furness gameplan was interrupted virtually straightaway when prop forward Chris Dalton went off with a knee injury and took no further part in the game. It was the home who took a three-point lead with a penalty through Steve Perry, but three tries in quick succession saw the visitors race into a 19-3 lead. There was some respite when a Cockermouth player was yellow-carded and Mike Backhouse went over from five yards out after good work by the Furness pack. This was followed by a penalty from Perry, and half-time arrived with Furness now only eight points in arrears.

As with the first half Furness started off brightly enough, but the heavy conditions were taking their toll on some ageing legs, something the young opposition fliers were quick to take advantage of. Their cause wasn’t helped when flanker Rhys Studt received a yellow card.

Cockermouth went over for two quickfire tries and in a matter of minutes Furness had gone from being competitive to being 20 points behind.

It would have been easy for heads to drop, but with Craig McQuistan prompting from scrum half and Steve Neale proving that there’s life in the old dog yet at stand-off, Furness stuck at their task.

Unfortunately, Cockermouth were not finished and they got over for another converted try before Furness scored the final points of the day when they were awarded a penalty try.