Kells Under-14s added to their haul of 2023 rugby league trophies with a very close win over Wath Brow Hornets, writes Ben Challis.
The West Cumbria Youth League Cup Final, held at Lowca ARLFC, saw them pick up their third trophy, with the final result of 10-8 decided by just one goal in a match played on a sticky, muddy pitch in the swirling wind.
Kells started the game facing a Wath Brow who were playing down the infamous Lowca slope, and after a scrappy start from both sides with numerous unforced errors, Kells had the majority of the possession in the first half, and managed to keep the Hornets working hard in defence, but the defence held, and when Wath Brow did break into the Kells end, the Kells defence was equally formidable.
It was Kells who took the lead in the first half when Jacob Hodgson found space on the right win and dived over by the flag, but Finn Miller failed to convert a difficult kick in tricky conditions.
The second half saw Wath Brow playing up the hill, but the young Hornets seemed to relish this, and Conrad Dockray was a constant threat, battering his way into the Kells defence, and persistence soon paid off when Lee Keaton levelled the scores at 4-4 with an unconverted try.
Kells dug in, and as the second half progressed seemed to deal with increasingly poor underfoot conditions the better and had two attempts chalked off, one from Hodgson for a knock on, and the second, a superb dive inside the corer flag from Elliot McKee, ruled out for a touchline infringement.
The sustained pressure paid off, and with the Hornets down to 12 men after the influential Dean Pattinson was sin binned for a tackle on Kells’ Ashton Hetherington, Frankie O’Reilly crashed through the Wath Brow defence to score just beside the sticks, the try crucially converted by Miller for 10-4.
The Hornets knew time was running out and upped their game again, and with one minute left on the clock, Dockwray found space and powered through on the right wing for 10-8, but Billy Joe Towers kicked just wide in the blustery conditions and referee Trevor Dryden blew his whistle to end the match.
It was a tough result to take for the Hornets, but Kells captain Tyce Walmsley lifted the League Cup to the delight of his players and supporters.
With The League Leaders trophy, the County Cup and the League Cup in the bag, Kells will now look to make it four out of four trophies when they go into the Under-14s Top Four Grand Final.
Their opponents? None other than today’s worthy opponents Wath Brow Hornets, with another mouth-watering prospect in store. Expect a classic battle!
