Workington Town celebrated the naming of the Fibrus Community Stadium with a 40-12 win over Rochdale Hornets.
It stemmed from a very positive, enthusiastic and aggressive start and a big finish, with Rochdale having a good spell in the middle that almost got them to within touching distance.
Town had scored four tries in the opening 22 minutes to lead 20-0 but after 46 minutes a rejuvenated Rochdale had pulled it back to 20-12.
Ciaran Walker did added two points from a penalty to give them a little more breathing space but just before the hour the Hornets had a try disallowed for a foot in touch.
Then when they pushed again for a score under the posts Walker broke to half-way with a run which was to change the course of the game.
From that break Town attacked well and Blain Marwood went in for a try which Walker improved and Town never looked back.
Sean Sabutey scored a brilliant solo try, up there with the very best that have been scored on Derwent Park before its recent re-naming, and then late on Walker danced away from the Rochdale defence and although a desperate tackler had his shirt he had enough momentum to make the line.
Walker, who converted both, was then named man of the match – a deserved award but for which there was strong competition from Jordan Burns, Stevie Scholey, Matty Henson and Malik Steele.
Jake Bradley had set the ball rolling with a try in the fourth minute and Aaron Burns plunged over for the second on 12 minutes.
Walker darted over on 22 minutes and on 27 minutes Ethan Bickerdike dived over in the corner for the fourth try.
Rochdale had been very much off the pace in the first-half but on 33 minutes roused themselves with a try by substitute Anthony Boardman which Dave Hewitt converted.
Their second try came from Luke Forber six minutes into the second-half and Hewitt’s conversion gave them hope of a revival.
But Workington responded well and gave the bumper 1,337 crowd a rousing finish to help celebrate the birth of a new stadium – and the community spirit that goes with it.
You can listen to coach Anthony Murray talking to Cumbria Crack’s John Walsh below:
