Match Report, News

Workington Town 18 Whitehaven 14

Town win the Ike Southward Trophy 2022 with dramatic injury time try

Jonty Gorley and his squad will look back at this game a ask themselves ” how did we lose this one ?”

For this 2022 Ike Sothward game Haven selected a 17 man squad that featured four new signing in Aussie recruits in Alex bishop and Josh Martin winger Dave Eccleston and prop Liam McAvoy .

THe game kicked off in almost perfect conditions and a sizeable crowd in attendance .

In bright Winter sunshine it was Haven who took the early Initative with halves Williams and Bishop prominent though clearly Haven were not firing on all cylinders . Against the run of play Town got over the visitors line on 22 mins only to cancelled out for obstruction .

Haven affirmed their superiority on 32 mins when Eccleston scored in the corner to give the Haven a deserved 4 nil lead which they kept to half time .

Dave Eccleston First Try for Haven – Photo by TiH Member Malcolm Walker

Haven started the second stanza in similar vein and on 47 mins Tom Wilkinson scored a try converted by Holliday to extend Havens lead to 10 nil . At this point it looked as though Haven could kick on , show their championship credentials and extend their lead .

However a string of unforced errors and penaltys from Haven allowed Town back into the game . On 62 Minutes Walker took advantage of hesitant Haven defence to score a converted try . Town 6 Haven 10

Haven response was a second try from Tom Wilkinson as he touchdown as he chased a Bishop grubber . Town 6 Haven 14 .

Tom Wilkinson Try – Photo by TiH Member Malcolm Walker

However Town respone was swift and decisive as ex Wath Brow Hornet Curtis Teare rampaged through a tired looking Haven defence to put Bickerdike in for a convertred try . Town 12 Haven 14 and with time ebbing away ,

Haven were now defending for their lives and it looked they might just hold out when on the 80th minute Henson went over for a try to break Havens hearts and leave the final score Town 18 Haven 14 .

Aussie Recruit Alex Bishop in action today – Photo by TiH member Malcolm Walker

From a Haven point of view it always disappointing to lose to our local rivals . However Haven did control the game for 60 minutes with some good individual contributions , notably from Aussie newcomers Alex Bishop and Josh Martin. That last quaters mistakes will leave Jonty Gorley nd the s quad plenty to work on this w eeek ahead of their next pre season game a way to Swinton next week .