WORKINGTON TOWN 10 WHITEHAVEN 8
JORDAN WEIR, Fibrus Community Stadium, Friday
WORKINGTON ended their eight-year wait for a competitive victory over Whitehaven in another Cumbrian derby that went down to the wire.
It was February 2017 – a 22-6 League 1 Cup victory at the Recreation Ground – when Town were last victorious over their near neighbours.
But a second-half try from Levi Atiga helped to end that run and secure back-to-back victories for Jonty Gorley’s side.
Defeat came at a heavy cost for Whitehaven, who lost captain Jordan Burns in the opening two minutes.
The fullback left the ground in an ambulance needing hospital treatment, and it was later confirmed that Burns had broken his eye socket in multiple places and suffered a fractured cheekbone.
The first half saw neither side cross the whitewash, with the only points coming via a penalty apiece off the boots of Jake Carter and Jay Weatherill.
Town’s Carter struck first following Ellis Nixon’ high tackle on Callum Phillips, who was one of eleven former Haven players lining up against their old side.
Soon after Haven temporarily lost a second fullback of the afternoon when Ethan Bickerdike left the field for a head-injury assessment, although he was later cleared to return.
The scores were levelled with eight minutes of the first half remaining when an Ellison Holgate grubber ricocheted off the feet of Jake Bradley before being collected by the offside Jack Stephenson, allowing Weatherill to make it 2-2 at the break.
The second half continued in a similar vein to the first half, with the home side on top and having the best of the field position and territory. They finally got the first try of the game through Atiga twelve minutes in.
After Whitehaven conceded a six-again for slowing the play-the-ball down on the final tackle, Dom Wear threw a looped, over-the-top ball to find Atiga, who handed off two Haven defenders before grounding one-handed in the right corner.
Carter couldn’t add the extras from out wide, but Town kept the scoreboard ticking over with back-to-back penalty-goals from the halfback forging an eight-point advantage.
The first came just after the hour mark with Brad Brennan penalised for dissent with ball in hand, followed by a high tackle from Connor Holliday on Guy Graham high.
Both sides finished the encounter with twelve men after Jack Newbegin and Will Evans were sin-binned for fighting, despite no punches being thrown in a melee.
Haven finished strongly and made the final seconds nervy when Mason Lewthwaite extended his impressive try-scoring start to the season, grabbing a ninth of the campaign.
It came from a hail-mary play as Cameron Brown chipped towards the touchline to find Jay Weatherill, who kicked the ball twice before bouncing – via the hands of Zarrin Galea – to Lewthwaite.
Weatherill added the extras but it was too little, too late as the West Cumbrian bragging rights were handed to Workington in front of a partisan crowd of more than 2,000.
GAMESTAR: Young Town forward Jack Stephenson was on top in attack and defence.
GAMEBREAKER: Brad Brennan’s penalty for dissent while in possession ended up being the difference between the two sides.
MATCHFACTS
TOWN
1 Zarrin Galea
20 Dave Eccleston
3 Rio Corkill
4 Will Evans
2 Levi Atiga
28 Jake Carter
7 Dom Wear
8 Ross Ainley
21 Callum Phillips
10 Stevie Scholey
17 Caine Barnes
12 Jake Bradley
13 Jack Stephenson
Subs (all used)
9 Jamie Doran
16 Guy Graham
24 Lucas Castle
25 Callum Farrer
Tries: Atiga (52)
Goals: Carter 3/4
Sin bin: Evans (72) – fighting
WHITEHAVEN
1 Jordan Burns
32 Mitchell Todd
4 Ethan Bickerdike
3 Chris Taylor
5 Jay Weatherill
7 Jack Newbegin
20 Cameron Brown
10 Jordan Thomson
14 Luke Collins
8 Jake Pearce
11 Connor Holliday
15 Mason Lewthwaite
13 Jack Kellett
Subs (all used)
9 Ellison Holgate
18 Aaron Turnbull
16 Brad Brennan
21 Ellis Nixon
Tries: Lewthwaite (78)
Goals: Weatherill 2/2
Sin bin: Newbegin (72) – fighting
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 2-2; 6-2, 8-2, 10-2, 10-8
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Town: Jack Stephenson; Whitehaven: Ellison Holgate
Penalty count: 11-7
Half-time: 2-2
Referee: Adam Williams
Attendance: 2,310
