Cockermouth had to work hard for their Counties Cumbria 1 Conference win over Wigton.
It finished 22-15 to second-in-the-table Cockermouth after they had trailed 12-7 at the break.
Overall, despite the defeat it was a much-improved performance from Wigton while from the Cockermouth point of view their more experienced pack got to grips with the game in the second-half to manufacture the win.
Wigton will look back at a very creditable first-half effort when they played into a strong wind. Their handling and inter-play between backs and forwards consistently troubled the bigger Cockermouth team.
The Greens scored the first try of the game through captain Richard Moffatt after some fine team play. Stuart Carruthers converted.
Cockermouth hit back, though, as a series of forward drives sucked in the Wigton defence and when they spread the ball wide full-back Harry Bibby crossed for the try which Ed Gate converted.
More intelligent passing and running lines moved Wigton up-field and when a penalty was awarded, quick thinking from Elliott Armstrong put Rocco Okesene over in the corner for a 12-7 interval lead.
The second half saw Cockermouth’s bigger, more experienced pack start to get on top. Scrums became a challenge for Wigton and it was from scrums that Cockermouth worked the ball well for Bibby again and Jake Moore to capitalise on with tries.
Eight minutes from the end Carruthers put up a penalty to cut the deficit to two points and set up a big finish.
The inability to use the wind when opportunities arose ultimately decided the game in the end. Wigton got turned over on the halfway line and Cockermouth broke to put Bibby in for his hat-trick try to seal the game.
