Kells and Barrow Island are both flying the flag for Cumbria in the National Conference League.
A 90-10 win for Kells at home to Myton Warriors confirmed their place at the top of Division One while a 64-6 victory for Barrow Island at home to Bradford Dudley Hill maintained their lead in Division Two.
Kells scored 16 tries against their Humberside visitors from nine different players and it completed a high-scoring double as earlier in the season they had won 82-6 at Myton.
Myton knew what was coming when they conceded three tries in the first six minutes and by half-time Peter Smith’s men had rattled up a 50-0 lead.
Mason Lewthwaite had claimed a hat-trick of tries and he was followed over by Jordan Burns (2), Dan Starkie (2), Ryan Watson and James Ennis, seven of which were converted by Grant Gainford.
The Kells juggernaut did slow slightly in the second-half with only 40 points added with two tries from Ennis to complete his hat-trick and touchdowns for Lewthwaite, Harry Nelson, Jake Parker, Reece O’Neill and Ross Ainley. Gainford added six more conversions.
Myton were already looking at a 72-0 score-line when they managed to score two consolation tries, one of which was converted.
Barrow Island were equally comfortable in their home win against Dudley Hill who are now bottom of Division Two.
Adam Ford (2), Ian Irvine, Max Anderson-Moore and Brandon Corrie had scored first half tries, two of them converted by Sam Jones.
Although Dudley Hill’s converted try was the first score of the second-half the Islanders soon regained control and in a one-sided conclusion chalked-up further tries through Ford (2), Joe Spenceley (2), Corrie, Jones and Aidan Wright. Jones landed five more conversions and Anderson-Moore also improved one try.
In the Premier Division there were mixed fortunes for the west Cumbrian pair of Wath Brow and Egremont. The Hornets held-on for a gritty 18-12 win at Rochdale Mayfield while the Rangers saw a lead slip to lose 32-18 at Leigh Miners Rangers.
Three successive defeats have been followed by two wins in a row for fourth-placed Wath Brow who had established an 18-0 lead coming up to half-time before the hosts scored a converted try.
It became something of an arm wrestle in the second period and after Mayfield had scored a second converted try the Hornets defence really had to earn their medals over the last 15 minutes.
Dean Rooney scored two tries for the Hornets with Sam Curwen also going over and Cole Walker-Taylor kicked three goals. The bang-in-form Ellison Holgate was man of the match again.
At Leigh it was a ninth defeat in a row for Egremont although they were certainly in the contest just before half-time with a 12-10 lead.
The home side managed a converted try in the last minute of the half and then won the game with three tries in the first 13 minutes of the second-half.
Egremont did hit back late-on with another converted try but it was too little, too late for the Gillfoot side who face a daunting trip to leaders West Hull on Saturday.
Toby Corrie had scored twice to help Egremont into their first-half lead while Adam Turnbull scored the late third. Billy Thompson converted all three.
Seaton Rangers were disappointed to lose the return 34-18 at Leigh East having won well 38-12 in the home game, and against a side who had lost their four previous games.
It had started well enough for Seaton with a try on four minutes from JJ Key but by the interval they trailed 16-4.
Although Seaton scored at regular intervals in the second half though Key, Jon Bryan and Craig Foster the problem was the hosts replied almost immediately each time. Foster improved his own try.
Seaton remain in strong contention for second place and next up is a West Cumbrian derby against Hensingham.
The Copeland side have a different sort of battle on their hands as they went down 30-18 at Millom and remain a point above the bottom spot and in danger of having to make a re-election plea.
Millom had opened-up an 18-0 lead with tries from Rio McQuiston, Jonty Peters and Jonathan Hodgson, all converted by Jack Newbegin.
But the game suddenly changed when Hensingham grabbed two converted tries in the last five minutes of the half. Scott Egan and Noel Branthwaite went in for tries, both converted by Branthwaite.
Hensingham probably didn’t want the half to end, having found their rhythm because Millom regained the upper hand in the third quarter and tries by Hadley Thompson and Ethan Kelly, both converted by Newbegin eased them clear.
A late try from Nick Maudling, converted by Branthwaite was never enough for Hensingham.
The game ended in fiery fashion when Millom had Jonty Robinson sent off for allegedly throwing a punch and a similar fate and reason involved Hensingham’s Steven Hodgson.
