High-flying Hensingham Under-16s ended their rugby league season with an emphatic 40-0 win over Seaton Rangers in the West Cumbria Youth League Grand Final.
They were adding a third trophy to their impressive collection of silverware, which already included the League Winners Trophy and the North East and Cumbria RL Under-16’s Cup. They went through the season undefeated.
A large crowd at Egremont Rangers’ Gillfoot Park saw Hensingham increasingly dominate the game against a well-drilled and physical Seaton side.
Hensingham were on the score-sheet just four minutes in when Fletcher Holgate forced his way through three Seaton defenders to touch down right in front of referee Neil Byers, with Luca Hiddleston adding the first of six conversions.
The game then ebbed and flowed, with good defending by both sides in increasingly difficult conditions as a cold and blustery wind brought in some unpleasant rain.
Seaton had a couple of chances and made good yards, but were repeatedly thwarted in their efforts, and Hensingham always looked the more likely to score.
Twenty minutes in, Tom McKinney grabbed Hensingham’s second try, powering his way through the Seaton defence to ground the ball under the sticks for the four points and a simple Hiddleston conversion.
Hensingham’s Jake Edwards was unlucky not to score after a superb fifty metre run on the right wing from inside his own half, brought down just a metre short of the try line.
Hensingham captain Logan Holgate added the first of his two tries just before the hooter with a touchdown under the sticks for another Hiddleston conversion and an 18-0 half time lead.
The second half saw Hensingham get off to another excellent start with Man Of The Match Devan Sharp spotting a gap in the Seaton defence and weaving through to dive in and score.
Ten minutes later Miller Dalton scored two tries in quick succession to put the result beyond doubt as he used his power and speed to run clear of a tiring Seaton defence to touch down. Three more Hiddleston conversions left the score at 36-0.
Seaton battled to the end, always looking to attack and defending valiantly, but the scoring on the night was completed by Logan Holgate, who used his strength to make yards on the left wing and dot down. He failed to convert his own try as the hooter went.
