Another game slipped away from Carlisle in North One West as they were beaten 24-13 at home by Broughton Park.
They were left with nothing to show for their efforts and the maximum points taken by the visitors enabled them to move ahead of them in the table.
Carlisle are third bottom and Broughton Park are now three points better off, immediately above them with a game in hand.
The hosts had started with a real sense of urgency and a break down the left saw full-back Andy Glendinning, thrown back from over the Broughton try line by two defenders.
With territory established it took only a few more minutes before the forwards ground out field position on the right, and hooker Nicky Yielder burrowed over the line for Carlisle’s first score. Steven Benson added the extras.
The visitors struck back minutes later, as a penalty infringement gave them the opportunity for a five metre line-out catch and drive, which they successfully converted into a try score.
A high tackle gave Benson the opportunity to add more points on the board for Carlisle from a 35 metre penalty.
The visitors, however, took the lead as sustained pressure in the Carlisle 22, created a gap which Broughton exploited to go over under the posts, to go 12-10 ahead.
Another penalty opportunity for Benson, gave the lead back to Carlisle by a point. It was short lived though as just before half time the visitors squeezed over on the right for their third try, going into the interval break with a 17-13 lead.
The visitors piled on the pressure in the second half, but Carlisle defended well, until a sin binning reduced them to 14 men. That would be Carlisle’s undoing as the visitors almost immediately scored their bonus point try to establish a 24-13 lead.
Although Carlisle gamely plugged away at the visitors, and put the Broughton Park defence under real pressure for a good 10-15 minutes, they simply couldn’t find a way through.
It was Broughton who were on the front foot as the game ended, taking a bonus point win, and leaving Carlisle with nothing for their efforts.
