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anyway! Town 26- Haven 18  Pic. Mike McKenzie  With first half tries from Lester and Leigh Smith dis-allowed things could have gone better. Haven had Town on the run in the middle of the second half(14-18), but then saw the lead slip away.Workington Town 26, Whitehaven 18 The Good Friday National Cup clash at Derwent Park - watched by an encouraging 2,552 fans - enabled Town to avenge their Boxing Day defeat in the NFP at the Recreation Ground. Martyn Wood, who scored one of the two tries in the last seven minutes, which won the game, was a very contented player coach. Wood and Carl Sice scored close-range tries after Whitehaven had taken an 18-14 lead on 62 minutes. Whitehaven have arranged with Leigh to play their next fixture on April 14 when they weren't scheduled to be playing. Town had been first into their stride and they took the lead on six minutes with a penalty from Tane Manihera. That lead was extended six minutes later when Anthony Samuel had the strength to make the line as he charged for the corner from eight yards out. Whitehaven were level on 15 minutes following a huge kick for the corner from Steven Kirkbride. Mark Wallace got up highest to knock the ball back and as the ball bounced invitingly over the Town line Spencer Miller was first there to make the touchdown. Kirkbride's conversion pulled the sides level. But Workington, with Samuel working hard up-front in attack and defence and the half-back combination of Wood and Manihera trying to stamp their authority on the game, were back ahead on 19 minutes. This time it was Steven Wood who took advantage of some slack defensive work on Haven's left wing to stride through for the same corner where Samuel had opened the scoring. It was good end-to-end stuff, though, and Whitehaven were also dangerous. Leigh Smith was turned on his back in the corner by some great defending when he thought he'd made the line and Aaron Lester was denied a try on the opposite side when he was ruled to have bounced the ball. On 32 minutes they were on terms again, though.before Haven burst into life and Leroy Joe slipped a gear pass to David Seeds who crashed through for his 13th try of the season. But it was Workington who deservedly edged the half with a penalty from Manihera after Charlton had been obstructed as he chased after a kick ahead near the line. Four minutes after the restart Manihera stretched the Town lead with his third penalty of the game. But Whitehaven, after their best real spell of he game, went in front for the first time on 54 minutes. Good quick handling and a great take by Howard Hill saw him stride through impressively for his side's third try, which Kirkbride converted. Had the tide turned? Marc Jackson almost got away after charging down a kick but was ankle-tapped by Samuel and then dived-on by the impressive Lokeni Savelio who had to spend ten minutes in the sin bin as a result. From that penalty award Kirkbride extended the Haven lead to 18-14. But gradually Town came back to snatch two late tries to wrap-up the points. First after Charlton had run the ball in close, Martyn Wood dived through from a play the ball and stretched out a long arm to get the ball over the line. Then on 76 minutes Carl Sice was darting over from close to the line. Manihera converted both to send the Workington fans into night-long celebrations. Town: S. Wood, Frazer, Hetherington, Beaumont, McGrady, M. Wood, Manihera, Tunstall, Sice, Okesene, Hoyle, Samuel, Charlton. Subs: Wright, Savelio, Nixon. Sub (not used) Rumney. Whitehaven: O'Neil, Wallace, Seeds, Hill, L. Smith, Joe, Kirkbride, Stevens, Jackson, Vaughan, Miller, Morton, Lester. Subs: Hutton, McKinney, G. Smith, Cunningham. Referee: Richard Silverwood, Castleford Crowd: 2,552 (Steve McKinney had to be helped off with a leg injury and Warren Stevens suffered a nasty mouth gash.)    Match sponsored by Cumbrian Newspapers |