Carlisle collected their first away win of the season in Regional 2 North when they beat bottom-of-the-table Guisborough 33-7.
They fielded a blended side of youth and experience with a number of last year’s Colts stepping up into the squad to make the win even more satisfying.
The game started quietly with both sides having their share of possession without dominating the game. However, Carlisle showed that their pack was going to be the dominant force as they began to exert a lot of pressure at the set piece.
The first Carlisle try came as a Guisborough overthrow at their line out was picked up by Guy Graham who made a lot of hard yards to take Carlisle deep into home territory.
A Carlisle line-out on their 22 then allowed the backs to try to find gaps in the home defence before a flat pass from Jason Israel caught them out and Finn Kennedy drove through under the posts. Israel added the conversion.
Then the heavens opened, the wind picked up, and it was Guisborough with the storm at their back that managed the conditions better.
Carlisle were scrambling to adjust, when their inside centre drove through a gap in the defence and a deft inside pass saw their winger over and under the posts, for a try he converted to level the scores.
Guisborough battered away at the Carlisle defence for the next 10 to 15minutes before the visitors eventually drove the home side back into their 22.
From a scrum 15 metres in front of the posts, the pack drove the home side back, and though Israel was stopped from diving over at the posts, Guy Graham took the ball from the back of the ensuing ruck to dive over for Carlisle’s second try to take a narrow 12-7 lead into half time.
The second half started more brightly for Carlisle, literally, as the rain stopped and they had the wind at their backs.
Guisborough then suffered a cruel piece of luck as their influential number eight had to be carried off with a nasty leg injury.
Seven minutes into the half Carlisle secured their third score, as Kennedy managed to break out of defence with a storming run into the home 22. A series of pick and go’s took them to the try line, and though Tom Graham was just stopped short, Robbie James was on hand to take the pass and go over for another try converted by Israel.
Guisborough tried to establish a bit of territory from the restart, but scrum dominance from Carlisle told, and eventually the home side were pushed back into defending deep in their 22.
Guy Graham grabbed his second from close range just shy of the hour mark, securing the bonus point for Carlisle with Israel converting.
Carlisle made it five tries when they turned over ball from a Guisborough attack just inside their own half. Debutant Jake Dawson stormed through a couple of tackles, motored down the left wing, before feeding Kennedy an inside ball for the final score of the game, converted by Israel.
