Two tries in the last 10 minutes completed a fine recovery by Cockermouth Titans and secured an exciting 42-26 win over Glasson Rangers in the Holmen Iggesund Cumberland ARL.
The Highfield side had trailed 20-12 at half-time before four tries in the third quarter stood the game on its head.
They led 32-20 just short of the hour before Glasson scored a converted try to get them back into contention. However two late tries saw the Titans home.
Glasson had made a splendid start, going 16-0 ahead in the opening quarter of an hour with tries from Kieran Ritchie (2), Shane Williams (5) and Greg Rowley (15) two of them converted by Luke Johnson.
Although Seamus Hutton pulled a try back for Cockermouth and Ryan Scott converted, Glasson scored their fourth try on 25 minutes through Ben Wrathall.
Hutton’s second try three minutes before the break, converted by Scott gave them something to chew over and build on in the second-half.
It took them only eight minutes to gain the lead with Alex Barton crossing on 44 minutes and Scott getting over four minutes later, converting both to put his side in front for the first time in the game.
They were able to stretch 12 points clear with unconverted tries from Ethan Harris and Ethan Cross before Connor Wilson reduced the arrears on 62 minutes with a try converted by Johnson.
It was Cockermouth who clinched the points with a try by Regan Tinnion on 68 minutes converted by Scott and then nine minutes from the end Shane Cusack forced his way over for the final touchdown of the night which went unconverted.
Maryport had started the season with an excellent win against Kells A but the Copeland side gained their revenge with a 36-16 victory.
It was comfortable in the end but at half-time it was still an open contest with Kells in front 16-10.
Kells scored two tries in the first quarter from Ashton Sice and Corey Chambers, the first of which was converted by Dan Starkie
Josh Patterson, who was to emerge as Maryport’s man of the match, scored an unconverted try on 26 minutes but Kells were in for their third try on 35 minutes through Will Ennis which Starkie converted.
Maryport were right back in it two minutes before the break when Luke Cremmins scored a try which Patterson converted.
Starkie scored a try and converted it four minutes into the second-half before Sice scored his second try on 53 minutes.
Maryport needed to score to keep the game alive and Luke Baker went over on the hour with Blake Miller adding the conversion.
But trailing by ten points that was not the catalyst for a Maryport revival and in the last 11 minutes tries from Starkie and Sice, to complete his hat-trick, wrapped-up the points for Kells.
Mason Lewthwaite was awarded the man of the honour for Kells A.
Wath Brow A only led Ellenborough A 6-0 at half-time and had to work hard for their 20-4 final winning tally.
Tom Clarke scored the only try in the first half, crossing after 27 minutes and Jenson Olstrum added the extras.
Two tries in the space of four minutes turned the screw for Wath Brow as Connor Molyneaux (49) and Greg Dawson (53) got over the home line. Olstrum converted the first.
Elbra came back to reduce the arrears on 59 minutes with an unconverted try by Rocco Okesene but any thought of a late fight-back were ended by Wath Brow’s fourth try from Jack Meagan in the 67th minute.
Ellenborough’s man of the match was Charlie Scott Jake Greenhough took the nomination for Wath Brow.
The four match programme was wrapped-up on Saturday afternoon by champions Distington when they beat Hensingham A 40-0.
They scored seven tries with six of them converted by Stephen Clarke.
Two of those tries came in the first minutes through Lewis Whitehead and Clarke and before half-time there were further touchdowns from Tyrone Dalton (19) and Whitehead (33) for an interval lead of 22-0.
Dalton scored his second try ten minutes into the second-half but Hensingham hung in grittily until the 67th minutes when Kelvin Lynch went in for the sixth try.
Jack Penrice rounded it all off for Distington by scoring the final try of the game in the 74th minute.
There was all-round relief that the four games had been completed when early indications suggested there might only have been one because of referees availability.
League secretary Lorraine Degraffe said: “We have to say a particularly warm thank you to the referees for re-arranging their plans or this week-end’s programme would not have taken place.”
