Ian Rigg reports from Derwent Park

The Lions gained their first victory at Workington for over eight years with a good performance.

Earlier in the week coach Paul Kidd had only fifteen fit players at training but some of the others managed to shake off their injuries to take their place in the victorious side.

The Lions took the lead in the fourth minute when former Lion Jay Duffy tried to chip the defence and Phil Wood charged the kick down to re-gather and race forty metres to score under the posts, Chris Brand adding the simple goal points.

It could have been better three minutes later when Brand himself went for the corner only to hit the try line with a double movement and was penalised by Referee Mike Dawber.

Town responded in the twentieth minute when the Lions were a man down as Dean Gorton was down in back play with a hand injury and Carl Forber broke through the Lions defence to send Franco Kmet in by the posts with Forber converting.

Forber put Town into the lead six minutes later when he landed a penalty goal from ten metres and then he stretched the lead further on the half hour when the Lions were penalised for holding down.

Chris Tyrer and Barry Hamilton both went close for the Lions just before the break before Wood broke the Town defence in the dying seconds of the half to race half the length of the field before offloading to Brand who raced in for the try on the right. Brand also added the goal points to put the Lions back into the lead.

Marlon Billy put the Lions further ahead on forty-two minutes when Gary Hulse kicked for the corner and the winger won the race for the touchdown but Brand's conversion attempt struck the posts and bounced out.

Chris Brand did add a penalty goal ten minutes later when Rob Line was high tackled thirty metres out. Chris Hull went close shortly after only to be stopped by a last-ditch tackle.

Town winger Stephen Dawes had a couple of chances but both times he was denied. Firstly, he was put on his back over the line by English and then a few minutes later put firmly on his backside by a great combination tackle from Wood and Billy.

Dean Gorton returned to the field with a heavy strapping in his right wrist but he managed to grab the next try when Hulse again put in a kick for the line and Dawes allowed it to bounce and Gorton won the race to gather it and score with Brand again adding the conversion.

A big fight broke out on sixty-eight minutes and both Hulse and Forber were dispatched to the sin bin and the incident placed on report. From the resulting penalty Town took the advantage of the overlap for Ryan Blair to go over in the corner but Duffy could not convert.

The Lions stretched the lead with six minutes left when English sent out a long pass to the right for Hamilton to coast in for the try and Brand again added the conversion from the touchline.

Kmet added his second try of the match for Town in the dying seconds and Duffy converted to secure the bonus point but nothing more as the Lions and their fans celebrated.

Mention must be made of Phil Wood who had a great game finishing the match with forty-seven tackles, scoring the first try and making the second.

Teams :-
Town :
1.Mark McCully
2.Stephen Dawes
3.Iain Marsh
4.Jason Mossop
5.Ryan Blair
6.Carl Forber
7.Jay Duffy
8.Ryan Benjafield
9.Scott Burgess
10.Dean Burgess
11.Ryan Campbell
12.Dexter Miller
13.Franco Kmet
Subs (All Used)
14.Chris Young
15.Matt Tunstall
16.James Robinson
17.Taani Lavulavu

Tries : Kmet (20,80), Blair (69)
Goals : Forber 4/4, Duffy 0/1
Sin-Bin Forber (68) fighting

Lions :
1.Wayne English
2.Barry Hamilton
3.Chris Brand
4.Dean Gorton
5.Marlon Billy
6.Chris Hull
7.Gary Hulse
8.Rob Line
9.Phil Wood
10.Gareth Hayes
11.Bruce Johnson
12.Neil Rigby
13.Gary Sykes
Subs (All Used)
14.Craig Ashall
15.Martin Moana
16.Chris Tyrer
17.Rob Line

Tries : Wood (4), Brand (39), Billy (42), Gorton (65), Hamilton (34)
Goals : Brand 5/6
Sin-Bin : Hulse (68) fighting

Ref : Mike Dawber (Wigan)
Att : 644
Pens : 12-7
H-T : 10-12

Prog Score : 0-6,6-6,8-6,10-6,10-12,10-16,10-18,10-24,14-24,14-30,20-30.
Men of Match :
Lions : Phil Wood
Town : Dean Burgess

Paul Kidd's Comments :

I am very satisfied today as it was never going to be easy coming to Workington with the record we have got here. It’s a bit of a bogey ground for us, like last year when we thought we had it won and we let it get away from us. That could have happened today but I thought we played some good stuff at times and I am pleased with that.