Egremont responded to the message from new coach Rhys Davies and delivered a fine performance to register their first win back in the National Conference Premier Division.
It was a bit special, too, a derby victory by 12-8 over local rivals and West Cumbrian top dogs Wath Brow Hornets.
Davies said: “I asked for a reaction after the Kells game and certainly got it. We know as a side what we are capable of and they put in an outstanding performance.
“Our defence won us the game and everyone worked tirelessly for each other. I think we got what we deserved.
“Beating Wath Brown has been a long time coming and I hope this kick-starts our season.”
Egremont had to survive for ten minutes early in the game with full-back Fraser McNee in the sin bin for a professional foul but they were the first to put points on the board.
Mitch Edwards went in for the opening try on 27 minutes and Matt Bewsher added a conversion, with the Mont holding the six point advantage to the break.
Early in the second-half they doubled the lead when Paul Corkhill scored a second try, again converted by Bewsher.
Wath Brow had Jake Pearce sin-binned for head contact but they rallied on his return and asked serious questions of the home defence.
Ten minutes from the end Morgan McCourt raised the Hornets’ hopes with an unconverted try and then four minutes from the end Ellison Holgate got over. There was no conversion again and Egremont held on for a famous victory.
Kells made the long trip to York Acorn, who were playing their first League game of the season, and the hosts came out on top 28-12, showing little effects from their tough Challenge Cup-tie a week earlier at Halifax.
Peter Smith, the Kells coach, said: “They gave us a lesson in controlling the play-the-ball and we gave them a couple of poor tries. We were in the game but a few errors cost us.”
The second-half was shared 6-6 as the damage had been done in the first period when Acorn opened up a 22-6 lead.
Jordan Potter (2) and Joe Potter scored home tries, two of them converted by Ant Chilton, pushed the York side into a 16-0 lead before Kells came back with a try from Dominic Wear, converted by Ross Gainford.
But the hosts added another try from Nathan Hammerton just before the break with Chilton adding the conversion.
Clarke Chambers gave Kells hope with a second-half try, converted by Gainford, but Acorn clinched it with a Nathan Conroy try, improved by Chilton.
All three Cumbrian sides travelled in Division Two and all returned home empty handed.
Ellenborough Rangers were closest to a reward as they went down 32-24 at Shaw Cross Sharks the early Lerague leaders.
Elbra coach Paul Gorge said: “I was pleased with the performance because we were in the game throughout and just a couple of errors cost us.
“We have actually played well in all three games so far which is encouraging because we have usually been slow starters in recent seasons.”
The Cumbrians had actually led 24-22 going into the last quarter when tries from Brad Wakenshaw and Evan Stephenson, one converted by Dec Tomlinson, carried the Sharls to victory.
In a lively, closely contested first-half the home side had led 22-18 with tries from Wakenshaw (2), Aran Woods and Tomlinson, plus three goals from Tomlinson.
But Ellenborough stayed with them with tries from Andy Ostle (2) and John Todd, three of them converted by Sean Mumberson. Zac Olstrum’s try in the second-half, converted by Mumberson had given Elbra the lead.
Mumberson has been entrusted with the goal-kicking following the departure of Owen Hoyles who is now based in Lancashire. He has joined Leigh Miners Rangers and kicked four goals in their win at Ince Rose Bridge.
Millom were looking for success at winless Myton Warriors but their hosts surprised them with a 44-24 victory to lift them off the foot of the table.
The Woollybacks were still on the bus in the opening quarter of an hour as Myton raced into a 16-0 lead, but gradually they came back into it and just short of the hour mark they trailed 28-24.
However, Myton finished as they had started and raced away for a clear-cut victory in the end.
The Millom tries were scored by Jonathan Hodgson (2), Connor Terrill and Daniel Hartley, all converted by Lee Postlethwaite.
Barrow Island would have been pleased with their first-half effort at Dewsbury Celtic as the players left the field all square at 4-4.
But when Celtic scored ten minutes into the second half they took control and ran away with the game to finish winners by 32-4.
They had scored first but Finley Dutton-Rosconie levelled on 17 minutes, and that was to prove to be the Islanders only contribution to the scoreboard.
In the Third Division Distington and Hensingham lead the way, although they are the only teams to have played three games so far.
Distington had a number of senior players missing for the trip to Drighlington but returned home with a very creditable 14-6 victory.
The west Cumbrians had trailed 6-2 at half-time, conceding the first points in three games, but responded well in the second-half as they scored 12 unanswered points.
Scott George had given them the lead from a penalty before Drighlington cracked the Distington defence on 32 minutes with a try from Lucas Hallas, converted by Joe Sanderson.
Distingtonn went in front on 52 minutes when full-back Scott Rooke went over and George converted. Victory was sealed when winger Callum Fox got in for a fine try on the hour with George converting.
Coach Aiden Worthington said: “It was a great day at the office, going down there without six or seven regulars and travelling down I feared the worst.
“But I needn’t have because the young lads who came in delivered the goods. Callum Fox is only 16 but plays like a 25-year-old and he scored a sensational try.”
The west Cumbrian derby went the way of Hensingham as they beat Seaton Rangers 28-16. Both teams are evolving under new coaches, former Workington Town team-mates Neil Frazer and Kris Coward.
It was 18-6 to Hensingham at half-time with Seaton sharing the second-half points 10-10.
Josh Rogerson (2) and Jamie Brown scored the Hensingham tries in the first-half, all converted by Jay Weatherill with Jon-Carl Bryan responding for Seaton with a try and conversion.
Ex-soldier Harry Kemp grabbed a try for Seaton early in the second half to raise hopes of a fight-back but Hensingham responded with further tries from Rogerson, to complete his hat-trick, and Weatherill who also landed his fourth goal.
Seaton did have then last word when returning hooker Liam Williamson went over on 78 minutes and Dominic Smallwood put over the conversion.
Winning coach Coward said: “It was a great result for us as we had to weather the opening storm for ten minutes. When we got a chance from our first attacking set and scored it gave us a lot of confidence.
“We completed our sets well, and gave away few penalties, keeping our shape in the first half and I thought we controlled the game even though it was a bit scrappy in the second-half.
“It was pleasing that we had four 16-year-olds in the side and they did well. Everyone is working hard for each other and we are particularly pleased with how we are defending.”
Opposite number Frazer has only had three sessions with his new team and is working with a young squad, whom Coward tips to get better as the season progresses.
Frazer said: “Hensingham were that much bigger, stronger and more mobile and Kris has got them playing good rugby.
“We didn’t set off too badly and they weren’t in our half early on but they scored off their first attacking set and it went from there.
“But I told them there’s no reason to panic, they will improve as the season goes on when we work on our goal-line defence.”