These are testing times for Workington Zebras who find themselves bottom of the Cumbria League.
They have only managed two wins so far this season, but only one has counted after they were docked five points for a non-fulfilment of a fixture.
It’s been a regular problem, too, putting out a second XV, for a club which has been one of the most respected in the county for many years.
But perhaps there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The club gave easily its best performance of the season in thrashing Furness 59-0 at the Ellis.
Furness had beaten The Zebras 39-0 at home in October, but they were a pale shadow of that team with several key players missing through injuries or COVID and Workington dominated proceedings from kick-off.
Only three minutes had passed when James Beck snaffled the ball from the Zebras’ first scrummage to cruise home for the opening try, which Sam Robinson converted.
This clearly shook Furness, but they quickly recovered and launched their first surge into Zebras territory – however, they were thwarted by Workington’s stonewall rearguard.
Having rode the potential storm, the Zebras hit Furness with another try on 19 minutes when another well drilled scrummaging saw the ball find Andrew Bowe and the venerable evergreen delivered his legendary “crashdown” try.
Robinson missed that conversion, but atoned for this three minutes later when a finely crafted movement was finished off by John McCrickerd.
By this time, Furness were just about clinging on Workington’s shirt-tails but the Zebras could scent the bonus point and tasted it on the half hour when Robinson helped himself to a try after shredding the visitors’ defence – he then added a third conversion of the afternoon for good measure.
It is to Furness’ credit that they were able to reel in the rampant Zebras and close out the first half with a combination of hard hitting tackles and firm defence.
However, this only lasted all of the opening six minutes of the second half before Beck roasted the tired opposition with his fiery pace before coasting under the posts for his second try and set up an easy conversion for Robinson.
Then on 50 minutes it was 40 – 0 as Workington flummoxed their opponents with pinpoint passing and sharp moves that finished with Jack Todhunter scooting away to get in on the try scoring jamboree. Once again Robinson was on hand to add two more points.
But just as they did for periods in the first half, so Furness managed to pull themselves back together again and curtail Workington’s try binge while at the same time going close to a consolation try.
Again all avenues to the whitewash were brutally shut off by hard hitting tackles and clinical interceptions by the Zebras.
Ultimately, this resistance couldn’t last and it was Workington who had the last word with three tries in the final ten minutes through David Todhunter and replacement Ryan Lawson before James Beck took advantage of tired marking to complete his hat trick.
Robinson added two more conversions to give him 19 points for the afternoon and along with his excellent driving surges and sharp alertness to danger saw him named Man Of The Match.
It was, however, an all-round performance from the team and this can give them confidence for the rest of the season.
The result still left Workington bottom of Cumbria One, but only a point behind Creighton, whom they visit on the 12th February but in the meantime they travel to second placed Wigton on Saturday.
The national League system came into play in 1987 and before then, however, Cumbrian clubs played social fixtures with varying degrees of competitiveness.
Meanwhile, A photograph has emerged, which might cause some discussion around the Ellis bar next time the ‘old timers’ are in situ.
It was taken around 50 years ago and the players have been identified as follows: Back row, left to right: Mike Croft, Arthur Smart, Mike McSherry, Tom Carr, Mike Rafferty, John Murray, Glyn Leychon, Jim Jarvis.
Front row: Mickey Irving. Dave Elliott, Kevin Fisher, Ian Vernon (capt), Howard Bryden, Dougie Short, Ken Fryer.
