Kells surrendered their unbeaten record against Andy Gregory’s Wigan St Patrick’s at the weekend.
But they had to play with 12 men for a third of the game, and had been in contention until Tony Burns was sent off for an alleged head tackle.
Coach Peter Smith said: “We had two 16-year-olds on the bench along with a lad who was far from fully fit, and after Tony was sent off the handicap was just too much.
“Some of the regulars weren’t available to travel through various reasons so it was always going to be hard filling in from the bench, and then the sending-off made it tougher.
“We are at home to Oulton Raiders on Saturday and expect to have most of the lads available. Our A team have a game on the Friday night and we should be fielding two different squads of 17.”
Oulton Raiders will arrive in West Cumbria as Division One leaders with three wins and a draw on their record, the only unbeaten side in the League. That draw came last Saturday, 16-16 at home to Ince Rose Bridge.
Up in the top flight the Premier Division, joint leaders West Hull are in Cumbria at Egremont with Rangers’ neighbours Wath Brow hoping they can do them a favour.
For after four games Wath Brow and West Hull still share the lead on seven points from three wins and a draw. Hornets have the better points differential – plus 90 to plus 56.
Egremont, though, want be focused on doing Wath Brow a favour. Their only though is on eking out another victory to lift them into the top half of the table.
They were narrow 26-24 home winners over York Acorn, who were bottom at the time, so it’s going to be a big contrast for the Rangers playing top and bottom in rapid succession.
Wath Brow were far too good for Rochdale Mayfield last week, powering to a nine-try 48-0 home victory.
The way they have started the season suggests they will be the team to beat as the season unfolds.
Barrow Island are Cumbria’s representatives in Division Two and they have an interesting home clash against Normanton Knights.
Both boast the same playing record – three wins and a loss – with Normanton just having a slightly better points differential, plus 13 to plus 8.
That one defeat for Normanton came last week, 26-24 at home to Bradford Dudley Hill which is encouraging for the Islanders as they won there the previous week.
In Division Three Hensingham and Millom get back into action after they agreed to put off their clash in West Cumbria last week until June because of Whitehaven’s game with St Helens.
Both resume with trips into Yorkshire against sides who have won twice and lost the other two.
Hensingham travel to Batley Boys while Millom are on the road to Drighlington – and coincidentally last week the Boys beat the Leeds villagers 30-20.
Seaton Rangers are currently lying third in the table, only beaten so far by the leaders East Leeds.
They were back on the winning trail last week, beating Leigh East 38-12, after they had lost heavily at the leaders. Free-scoring East Leeds have already topped 200 points after only four games.
Seaton have their second trip away, and it won’t be as daunting as East Leeds when they visit Oldham St Anne’s, 32-24 winners at Seaton’s fellow new boys Bentley last week.
