Cumbria won their second game of the county championship programme with a 34-26 win over Durham at Aspatria.
But it wasn’t enough to take them through to the next stage as they had to deny Durham a bonus point and the visitors scored the four tries they needed.
Cumbria did everything else – winning the game and scoring four tries for a fifth point – but it wasn’t quite enough.
In the other group game Northumberland pulled out of their game at Staffordshire, gifting five points to their intended hosts which meant that they, Durham and Cumbria all finished on 11 points. Durham will progress on scoring differential.
Disappointment in not progressing in the competition was very much off-set by the manner of the performance and also by the promise of the teenagers who were involved on the day.
Head coach Dan Bowman said: “This is a very special group of players who have bought into what we are trying to do and have done us proud.
“We said before the game the first priority was to win it and that’s what we have done. We have scored our four tries but unfortunately we let them in for four.
“First and foremost, though, we are delighted with the way the younger players have come into the team and done so well.”
Kendal’s teenage fly-half Arran Stephens only found out in the morning that he was playing when Cumbria had to pull-out Josh Ree because he had played twice with Leeds Tykes on loan from Kirkby Lonsdale.
Stephens produced a hugely promising performance, and even got on the scoresheet with one of the first-half tries which pushed Cumbria into a 21-12 lead at half-time. He finished off a slick move by finally stretching out to make the touchdown.
That was the third score for Cumbria, with all three converted by Upper Eden’s Oliver Bennett. Jamie McNaughton had gone in after seven minutes and although Durham quickly got level, a second try finished off by skipper Tom Graham restored the lead.
After Stephens had helped stretch the lead to 21-7 Durham hit back with an unconverted try on 27 minutes, and then before the half-time whistle they had a back row forward yellow carded.
Indeed they lost another forward to the bin early in the second-half but Cumbria couldn’t take advantage and although they could manage was a 58th minute penalty from Bennett.
Durham, who included 16 players out of their 22-strong squad from the title-winning Billingham club, then enjoyed a purple patch when Cumbria seemed to lose focus.
Two well-taken converted tries edged the visitors ahead at 26-24 and Cumbria took some time to clear their hands and come again.
In a big finish Bennett kicked a penalty to put Cumbria back in front and then with virtually the last action of the game the hosts split the Durham defence for Bennett to finish off with the fourth try which he converted.
