Haven take the Glory
Whitehaven 0 Workington 0 Boxing Day 1993
This was jungle book action in the Recreation Ground swamp. But it was nothing like a kid?s video the near 5000 were watching.
It was a man's game played by men ? mud covered all the time almost exhausted by the end ? but unbowed and unbeaten.
Lesser mortals would have given up much earlier. The forwards went at each other hammer and tongs. The backs tried to run the ball but found conditions bogged them down. Whitehaven had greater territorial advantage and looked more likely to score a try. Lewthwaite and Dover went close near the end. But difficult handling of the slippery ball prevented a touch down.
All in all it was survival of the fittest and the fact that both sides were still on their feet and full of confrontation to the end says it al.
Graeme Morton in the second row for Whitehaven was officially named man of the match. It was a pity there could only be one such award because in the other camp Wayne Kitchen deserved a lot of credit for the way he tried to take pressure fro his hard working forwards.
On a pitch more suited to planting rice than playing rugby. Haven kicked off three minutes after the scheduled kick off time due to the late arrival of Workington.
But Town quickly made up for lost time, immediately putting Haven under pressure in front of a packed crowd of nearly 5000 people.
Then Haven hit back Reg Dunn setting Mark Beckwith free, but his kick through was just to long for Peter Dover, and Town took the drop out.
Steve Maguire found Mike Pechey as haven used big Kiwi Prop Reg Dunn as a battering ram and Town were unable to shake off some tenacious tackling.
Both teams had stayed off the skating rink surface before kick off, and with the wing in front of the scratching shed corner ankle deep in cloying mud, it was still haven who looked more likely side in the opening 10 minutes.
Garry Hetherington was penalised for holding down Town full back Mark Mulligan but Town decided to run the ball and Pechey dragged Stuart cocker into touch.
Town unbeaten in December, needed victory at the Recreation ground and for Keighley to beat Huddersfield to take over at the top of the table, and go into the New Year favourites for the second Division table.
After 12 minutes ex Kells fullback Lee Anderson- signed on a months loan- went on for blood binned Clayton Friend.
Anderson slotted into full back taking over from Beckwith who switched to wing. Almost immediately Steve Branthwaite who had lost his head protector in an earlier tackle ? was also blood binned with a huge swathe of blood on his forehead. He was replaced by Garry Hetherington.
And Whitehaven despite their bright start, were in trouble with both subs on in just quarter of an hour.
On 18 minutes haven were harshly penalised for offside, But for some reason Town decided to run the ball from a good goal kicking position.Andersons taste of glory ?which included one superb run-ended on 20mins when Friend returned to the fray.
Next minute Dunn was penalised but dean Marwood?s kick failed wide to the jeers of the home crowd.
Club record try scorer Vince Gribbin made an explosive 20 yard burst which brought roars of approval from the Haven faithful, and Seeds did the same.Kurt Sorenson was sin binned with just 10 minutes of the first half left and Hetherington replaced by fir again Branthwaite.
But Sorenson had only himself to blame for paying the penalty for back chat.Town immediately sent Barry Buglass on for Brad Hepi as Town sought to turn their extra man advantage into greater points before the half time hooter.
But I looked as if Haven had broken the deadlock just eight minutes from the break when Davis Seeds momentum carried him over the line, after a good one two with Lewthwaite. But the referee ruled he had knocked on.
Town were looking vulnerable as Haven fought for their pride .Haven sent back Hetherington to give Dunn a breather.Still Haven made light of their numerical disadvantage as they continued to hold Town back except when big Fijian prop James Pickering had the ball. Ironically in the final minute of the half the battered Pickering also came off for a well earned rest,Gary McGurk taking his place.
Town were awarded their fifth penalty and Sorenson came back as the home side continued to feel the referee?s wrath at the slightest indiscretion.
But they were undeniably the better of the two sides in the opening half,and were unlucky not to be leading against their lack lustre high flying neighbours.
Ex Ellenborough Jonty Gorley tried to inject some fire into Workington bellies,But they had no appetite for the Haven tackling.
He looked the one town forward capable of matching havens power play.
Haven started the second half in clean jerseys and Seeds quickly showed a pair of clean heels to match,But Lewthwaite was bundled over the touchline.
But friend was penalised for offside just seven minutes after the interval, and Marwood was again wide of the mark.
Dunn went back on for Branthwaite as Haven continued to hold the edge in the forwards, But the game was balanced on a knife edge after Marwoods two miskicks.
It was looking as if one moment of magic, or one tragic error was going to be enough to decide destiny.Town,reluctant to get involved in a hit and hope kicking game,tried to run the ball .But they succeeded only in running into the still solid home tackling,
Maguire slipped the ball wide to Lewthwaite who was comprehensively tackled by Des Drummond who was then harshly penalised for holding down.
Buts till neither side could find the key to break the deadlock.Maguire surged through the center,But was stopped by the Town tackling.
The last twenty minutes of the game produced lots of action with both sides trying to break the deadlock.
Tension built up to a nail biting climax, and players were brought on and off the field to try to produce new thrust.Pickering and Hepi rejoined Workington While Whitehaven replaced Beckwith with Anderson.
With 12 minutes to go Friend made a great run down Whitehavens left flank and got the ball away to Seeds, who was halted just short.
Then came the wing raids by Lewthwaite and Dover,The latter seeming to reach the line only to be foiled of a try by a forward pass.In the dying minutes Mulligan tried to drop goal for Town,But failed to give the plum pudding ball any trajectory.
A drop goal was all that was needed to end the frustration; The spectators were willing it to happen. But there was no real disappointment that it didn?t come.It was the biggest crowd the Recreation Ground for a league match in a couple of seasons, and no one was complaining as the spectators trope away
Whitehaven
Beckwith, Dover, Seeds, Gribbin, Lewthaite, Pechey, Friend, Sorenson, Branthwaite, Dunn, Chambers, Morton, Maguire, Subs Hetherington,Morton.
Workington
Mulligan, Drummond, Kay, Burns,Cocker,Kitchin,Marwood, Pickering,McKenzie,Schubert,Hepi,Arstrong,Bryne, Subs Buglass McGurk
Referee Stuart Cummings(Widnes)