Egremont Rangers romped to their first win in the National Conference First Division, hammering visitors Thornhill Trojans 60-4.
It was, perhaps, a significant winning margin as both teams were relegated from the Premier Division last season.
The Cumbrians had started positively with Leon Crellin going in for an unconverted try , and although Thornhill drew level on 20 minutes, it was a false dawn for the visitors.
By half-time it was 32-4 to the Rangers and they went on to pile-on the points, finishing with 11 tries and no further addition to the scoreboard for the Trojans.
Tom Horner, Toby Corrie, Kris Tyson, Brad Oglanby and Crellin all went over before the break with Tyson adding five conversions.
Inside ten minutes of the second half Crellin had completed his hat-trick and Tyson had scored his second.
Matt Bewsher was next over the whitewash and although a young Thornhill side dug in to partly stem the tide, Rangers finished on a high with tries in the last five minutes from Quinn Wright and Jack Conway. Tyson added three second-half goals.
Barrow Island were involved in the only Division Two game as five other fixtures were put off because of the bad weather.
The Islanders registered their first win of the season when they beat Wigan St. Jude’s 24-20 but had to survive a late rally from the visitors.
St. Jude’s went in front on 18 minutes with an unconverted try from Lewis Melling but the home side led 6-4 at half-time with a try from Adam Ford which was converted by Sam Jones.
The Islanders then pulled 20 points clear as tries from Finley Dutton-Rosconie (2) and Jake Stockdale were converted by Jones.
In a dramatic finale the Cumbrians had Josh Banham sent to the sin bin for dissent and St. Jude’s scored tries in the 77th and 78th minutes from Adam Lavin and Jacob Dugdale, both improved by Danny Fallon.
It was the Islanders who were most relieved to hear the final whistle, still four points ahead.
There were two Cumbrian derby fixtures in Division Three with Ellenborough Rangers showing they mean business following their elevation to the National Conference and Millom’s resolve to celebrate their 150th anniversary.
Elbra were too strong for Hensingham and won 40-14 while Millom came out on top 40-6 against Seaton Rangers.
Josh Rogerson had given Hensingham an 8th minute lead with an unconverted try but by half-time the home side had established an 18-4 advantage.
Andrew Ostle and Sean Mumberson got the scoreboard moving for Elbra and then when Hensingham’s Robson Leslie was sin-binned for a tip tackle Zac Olstrum went over for the third try. Owen Hoyles converted all three.
Ellenborough showed their dominance in the third quarter with tries from Louis Fearon, Olstrum and Jonty Hill to virtually put the game beyond the visitors.
Hensingham did have the consolation of further late tries from Rogerson and Taylor Richardson, one converted by Jack Kellett, but in between Jason Graham scored Elbra’s seventh try. Hoyles finished with six successful kicks.
Seaton Rangers started promisingly at Millom with a second minute try from Levi Wallbanks which was converted by Jon Carl Bryan.
But that was it as far as the west Cumbrians were concerned as by half-time Millom had opened-up a 28-6 lead with tries from Jackson Evans (2), Lee Postlethwaite, Kyle Evans, Hadley Thompson and Rio McQuiston. Jack Newbegin converted two.
Thompson and Jonathan Hodgson added tries early in the second-half, both converted by Postlethwaite, but then Millom had two men sent-off. Ethan Kelly saw red for alleged punching while Brad Crellin went for ten minutes in the sin bin.
