Despite their five-match winning run ending Workington Zebra Finches made North Two West champions Southport sweat for their 32-17 victory at The Ellis.
It was a fine effort by the Finches against a side who were crowning their perfect season with 14 wins in a row.
Indeed, both the Southport captain and coach said that the Finches were the only team to have really tested them throughout the course of their successful season.
Workington remain 4th in the table but with their last game at Oldham cancelled by the host club they will be looking to claim the points which would take them to runners-up.
The season isn’t over for seven of the Finches players as they have been called up by Cumbria for the forthcoming County Championship.
Workington had looked livelier from the kick-off against Southport and within the opening five minutes opened the scoring when smooth flowing running, allied to finely executed passing, led to Lauren Coulson finishing with her 12th try of the season.
Then on 12 minutes, a period of exerted scrummaging put Southport on the back foot and Hannah Thornberry was on hand to crash over for a second unconverted try.
Southport managed to reduce the arrears on 15 minutes against the run of play when they scythed through the Finches’ defence for a breakaway try that also went unconverted in the windy conditions.
Workington continued to dominate, but despite more feisty scrummages they simply couldn’t find a way through and after riding the storm, Southport drew level on 22 minutes when another surge into Finches territory ended with a try in the corner.
The Finches were not to be denied and with Elsa Whelan, Coulson, Sammy-Jo Cole and Beth Adams calling the shots, they were close to regaining their lead on two occasions.
First Coulson and then Stephanie Radcliffe were thwarted with the try-line within touching distance,
Five minutes from the break they did retake the lead and held it until half-time. Grace Weston sliced through the Southport backline to scuttle under the sticks and plunder the third try for the Finches. This time Elsa Whelan was able to add the extras.
It was Southport’s turn to dominate proceedings from the start and five minutes into the second half, during another surge in Workington’s half, a high punt up-field caught the Finches flapping and another try saw the deficit reduced to only two points
What followed next was 20 minutes of evenly balanced rugby with both sides having their moments of domination but not quite finding the killer denouement as reliable doughty defence was in equally impressive mode.
It was Workington who uncharacteristically blinked first and Southport pounced mercilessly to regain the lead on 65 minutes as their constant pressure was rewarded with a hard-fought try under the posts. An easier conversion gave them a 22-17 lead with 15 minutes to go.
Once again, Workington refused to flinch and Coulson, Adams, Radcliffe and Whelan all caused Southport concern with their dangerous movements, but slowly tiredness began to creep in and the Champions wasted no time in exploiting this,
They scored two unconverted tries in the last five minutes to not only seal victory but also ensure their place in club history with the perfect season.
Workington can take immense pride in making their opponents fight for the victory and there were several positives to take from the afternoon.
These were undoubtedly the blossoming Lauren Coulson and Sammy-Jo Cole centre partnership; Elsa Whelan making the full back spot her own; Stephanie Radcliffe showing her flexibility on the wing; Laura Southam crowning her debut season with another flawless front row display; the flourishing lock duo of Beth Adams and Claire Pooley; the no-nonsense, indomitable Lauren Wilkinson at Number 8 plus the quiet, but firm captaincy of Danielle Easdon – deputising for the absent Charlotte Cammack.
There is also a special mention to former captain Sarah Harrington, who returned to Finches colours with a brief cameo from the bench and made her presence felt at all times.
