
Whitehaven were in damage limitation mode as they lost 60-0 at home to Championship leaders Featherstone Rovers.
A third game in eight days was always going to be tough for the Cumbrians, and Whitehaven facing the powerful table-toppers to round off that hectic run of games, was just too much.
Featherstone were 24-0 ahead at half-time and they increased the scoring rate in the second half, preventing the home side from scoring as an added bonus.
For Haven they will be just pleased to have got this one out of the way, and the completion of a seriously testing run of fixtures.
The midweek win over York City Knights will have pleased the Haven camp, although disappointed to have lost a week ago at Keighley. This latest defeat was not unexpected.
The game was forced to kick-off late – getting start 55 minutes after the scheduled start – because Featherstone, and Whitehaven’s travelling players, had been delayed by the M6 accident.
It didn’t help either side’s preparations but Featherstone had the first points on the board after eight minutes. Whitehaven had put in a good set deep into Rovers territory but the visitors broke well and a strong burst from Elijah Taylor paved the way for Connor Jones to go under the sticks for the first of his side’s 11 tries.
Mark Keirallah put over the first of his eight conversions with his second coming five minutes later after Gadwin Springer had crashed through a gap to touchdown.
It became 18-0 after 19 minutes when the French Connection struck – Springer turned provider to give Mathieu Cozza his try, again converted.
Before half-time there were further touchdowns for Caleb Aekins and Adz Hau, one of them improved by Keirallah.
Rovers had lost Junior Moors in the first-half as he was taken to the West Cumberland Hospital with a broken thumb.
Within two minutes of the restart Fev had increased their lead to 40-0 as Cozza went in off a short ball from John Davies and Keirallah followed his own grubber to make the touchdown.
The best try of the game came on the hour when the ball was shifted left to right for Luke Briscoe to touchdown.
Three minutes later Logan Astley’s kick was palmed back by Briscoe forJoey Leilua to collect and dive over.
Tries followed in the 67th and 72nd minutes from Keirallah and Aekens and although Haven grittily stuck to their task they were well beaten by a classy side.
They had to see out the final few minutes with 12 men after Jamie Doran was sin-binned.