Workington Town just failed in a late fight-back against League One play-off rivals Doncaster.
The Dons scraped home 22-19 but with 10 minutes left to play their advantage was 15 points and Town had lively half-back Ciaran Walker sent to the sin bin.
That roused the home side and in a blistering finish scored two converted tries to go desperately close to salvaging the game.
First it was Carl Forber who got over for a try on 75 minutes, adding the conversion in Walker’s absence, and then a minute from the hooter Ethan Bickerdike scored for Forber to add the extras.
Anthony Murray’s men just couldn’t find anything else to go on and record what would have been a remarkable fight-back.
It had been a real hard slog to start with, a proper old fashioned arm-wrestle, with neither side able to capitalise on good field positions they created.
The breakthrough came on 26 minutes for the visitors. Connor Robinson kicked high for the corner where Tom Halliday jumped highest to collect and go over for the first try. Robinson added the extras.
Five minutes later Grant Reid, back from injury, powered over near the posts and Walker added the conversion to put the home side level.
Four minutes before the break Walker edged Town in front when he put over a field goal for a 7-6 interval lead.
A minute into the second half Doncaster had grabbed the lead again following a mistake in defence by Town. Josh Guzdek got the try with Robinson unable to convert.
It was a shocking start to the second-half for Town as on 45 minutes the visitors built on a driving run from new signing Albert Vete and it was skipper Sam Smeaton who got over for the try with Robinson converted.
When Doncaster went in again on 67 minutes through Smeaton again, after good work by Ben Johnston and a Robinson conversion, Town looked dead and buried.
But the Cumbrians roused themselves and treated the 1,074 fans to a rousing finish without being quite able to make it a winning one.
