Carlisle take the Honours

Many years have passed since these two sides had met in league combat, although there has been the odd county cup encounter in the intervening period.

Perhaps, as things turned-out, it wasn’t the game for the purists, but both sides gave it their all, with the city men coming out on top – but only just!

Pre match, much had been said about the strength of the Wigton pack, but on the day they did disappoint and overall it was the Carlisle forwards who looked the more accomplished both in the tight and loose play.
On the evidence of this game, though, both sides have a lot to do over the coming months to ensure survival.

Both are in an-all Cumbria bottom three with Aspatria for company but as far as Carlisle are concerned there are clear signs of improvement and hopefully the progress will be maintained.Wigton drew first blood in the within a couple of minutes of the kick off when they grabbed a converted try.

Chris Pattinson made a good break in the centre and when they won good ruck ball Wigton spread it wide for skipper Matthew Atkinson to power over. David Hanabury converted.

Eleven minutes into the game, fly half Glen Weightman reduced the arrears with a penalty. Lewis Boyd had fielded a home kick on his own 22 and took play almost to the Wigton 22 before he was tackled and it was a ruck offence which provided Carlisle with their penalty.

For the next ten minutes they put the home side under a deal of pressure that eventually paid off when Matt Minett touched down in the right hand corner after a foray down the wing. The conversion from Weightman was just short. Wigton retook the initiative with a 35 metre penalty from Hanabury that gave them a two point lead at the break, but crucially he had missed with an easier kick from the 22.

After the break Carlisle recognised that there was advantage to be had by using the breeze and putting the ball into the left corner, something Wigton had failed to do in the opening period.

The city men got an early reward when left wing Martin Brodie touched down, going though several half-hearted Wigton tackles. The conversion evaded Weightman again, although he atoned for that with a successful penalty attempt on the fifty minute mark.

It was a tense affair thereafter with both sides looking for openings, but in the main it was Carlisle who looked the more likely to take a firm hold.

However in the last ten minutes Carlisle seemed to tire and Wigton had a long period of pressure qhich eventually produced a try.
They thought they had scored from a maul under the Carlisle posts but the referee said he had been unsighted and couldn’t be sure the ball had been grounded. However, from the scrum Wigton moved the ball wide and Richard Moffat got over in the corner.

There was less than two minutes remaining so the result hinged on the conversion attempt. It was a tough one, though, into the breeze and off the touchline and Hanabury’s kick fell short, leaving Carlisle to defend a one-point benefit for what remained of the match.