Carlisle joined Kendal in the semi-final of the Cumbria County Cup after a hard-fought 29-19 win over Egremont at Warwick Road.
It was the first time the clubs had met competitively for a good number of years and was closer than the relative League standings over the intervening time would indicate.
Certainly Egremont had started underdogs but gave a very good account of themselves in what turned out to be an entertaining game.
Carlisle went into the tie on the back of a very promising performance in beating Kirkby Lonsdale a week earlier in a pre-season warm-up game.
For their part Egremont had been encouraged by their winning effort in a squad game with St. Benedict’s two weeks ago.
Carlisle went ahead towards the end of the first quarter when Tom Graham found space at a five metre line-out to get down the blindside into the corner for Carlisle’s first try.
Both sides were going at it hammer and tongs and Egremont gradually started to force Carlisle back into their half.
It brought dividends too as they took the lead when Matt Hutchins, who had an excellent game at outside centre, scooped up a loose ball and he ran away from the Carlisle defenders to go under the posts for the try which Dane Richardson converted.
Within three minutes Carlisle had hit back following more hard driving work by the forwards. Flanker Tom Percival buried over the line for the second try, converted by Jason Israel.
Egremont continued to show-up well, however, with the Temple brothers James and Graham working prodigiously in the back row and only some sterling defensive work kept the West Cumbrians from scoring.
It was Carlisle however who got the final score of the half, as some slick hands from the back line, created a space for debutant fullback Freddie Rawling, to speed through the Egremont defence scoring his first senior try for the club under the posts. Israel converted for a 19-7 half-time lead.
It was Egremont who got the next score just shy of the hour mark. They strung the Carlisle defence out across their 22, creating space on the outside for winger Owen Dobson to go over in the right corner for a very well worked but unconverted try.
At 19-12 Carlisle were not running away with the game as might have been expected but a slick move at pace down the right wing, secured field position close to the Egremont line, with winger Tyler Callaghan getting the chance to dive over for their fourth try.
Egremont, with fly-half Fraser McNee having a particularly good game, continued to pose threats and deservedly scored a third try when full-back Steve Smith shot through an opening in the Carlisle defence to go under the posts for a try converted by Richardson.
The fifth Carlisle try, however, ensured they made progress into them semi-final. Ollie Burns sped down the left to get Carlisle within ten metres of the Egremont line.
It was then left to the forwards to do the hard graft of going through phase play up to the Egremont line, before tight-head prop Nat Mossop, bulldozed his way over for the try.
