It will go down as the finest performance by a Whitehaven side in the modern era!
During a traumatic week the club didn’t have a side to send to Dewsbury but then were able to announce they would fulfil the fixture with 15 men.
In the end they travelled to Dewsbury with 14 men and despite having only one man on the bench they produced a super performance to win 18-10.
It got them out of the automatic relegation places but they still have five games to play, and with limited options it’’s going to be tough but all this way.
But this outstanding effort is a benchmark for coach Kyle Amor as he takes this squad forward and he couldn’t have asked for anymore from his squad.
Haven had opened up a 16-0 lead at half-time and in another boost, just before the break the Rams had Dale Ferguson sent off for a high shot.
They had scored their first try after the first quarter of the game had been quite an arm wrestle with Haven doing well to hold the Rams fiery start.
It was Lachlan Hanneghan who opened the scoring by finishing off in the corner but he couldn’t manage to add the extras.
Four minutes later Whitehaven were in again, this time it was Owen McCarron who went in from close range. Hanneghan converted.
Then to complete a remarkable 15-minute spell Whitehaven scored again with Mat Walsh going in from close range for his first try for the club. Hanneghan converted.
Dewsbury were clearly rattled and it probably contributed to Ferguson’s rash challenge which left y=the Rams with 12 men for the second-half.
Into the second-half and it was still going to be a big ask for Haven with so few options from the bench and players having to stay out there for big minutes.
When Dewsbury scored on 52 minutes through Connor Bailey it looked as though it was going to be a long, hard half for the Cumbrians.
But again they dug in with Ryan King leading from the front for his side, supported by 13 heroes as substitute Will Evans had joined the action and played his part in the winning performance.
Crucially the Rams couldn’t score again until the 77th minute and in between Hanneghan kicked an ‘insurance’ penalty which wasn’t needed in the end.
Jack Billington scored the second try for the Rams and Paul Sykes converted, but it was too little too late and to the delight of their enthusiastic, travelling fans Whitehaven had achieved what had look impossible a few hours beforehand.
