Keswick walked away with a hard fought win from their latest battle in Regional 2 North, writes Ben Challis..
Delighted celebrations took place at the end of a match that Keswick looked very likely to lose after the opening ten minutes, and even more likely to lose going into the half time break.
Having lost co-captain Aaron Thompson to a bad wrist injury just ninety second in, Keswick then went a try behind when a clever kick was picked up by the West Hartlepool’s Ollie Connolly who sped down the right wing to touch down for a converted try.
Five minutes later West Hartlepool repeated this move, with an exquisite kick calmly collected on the left wing for a lovely diving try from Sam Knight inside the corner flag, although this one remained unconverted.
At 0-12 down Keswick looked bemused, and home supporter feared an onslaught from the quick and skilful visitors.
Keswick dug in and began to hold back the attacks, and five minutes later advanced to within three yards of the West Hartlepool try line where a determined Jamie McKenzie was not to be stopped and burrowed through to score, with Kieran Mewse converting.
West Hartlepool still looked the better side, although flashes of ill discipline took the shine off their performance, and after a period of sustained pressure on the Keswick try line added a third converted try right by the sticks for 7-19.
A fourth try West Hartlepool looked like being a game decider and a nail in Keswick’s coffin, although for five minutes before the break Keswick started to turn the game around.
At 7-24 down it looked like it was going to be a tough second half.
Keswick re-started well and seemed to have found a new purpose, With Ryan Weir and Joe Allday both able to make valuable yards running deep into the visitors’ territory, Keswick were then able to lay siege to the visitors’ try line and an opportunistic Marky Trow just managed to power through under a pile of West Hartlepool defenders to touch down with fifty minutes gone.
Keswick then suffered another blow with Joe Allday off injured, but ably replaced by Danny Price, and coach Garry Holmes having to bring himself on with Lance Lake also now off the field of play. Deep in the Keswick half Dan Craghill then set up the try of the match.
Releasing Ryan Weir who weaved through the advancing West Hartlepool line before setting up Chris Potter to sprint for the line, running well clear of the visitor’s defence to dot down, and followed in by the ever busy Matty Roper, Craghill and Weir.
There were still twenty minutes left to play, and Keswick now looked the better side and kept the pressure on, with Roper dictating the plays, Jamie McKenzie a powerhouse crashing forwards, and Weir continuing to wreak havoc with his running game.
Despite this, a fruitless fifteen minutes later Keswick were still 19-24 down, and the clock was ominously ticking away. Keswick were in the last chance saloon.
As Garry Holmes and Karl Smyth battered their way forwards, and with Keswick poised three yards out from the West Hartlepool try line with a two player overlap, a West Hartlepool defender deliberately knocked on and referee Martin Denvir had no hesitation in awarding a penalty try to Keswick, and, crucially, seven points.
Keswick had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a fantastic 26-24 win.After the match Keswick Head Coach Garry Holmes said “for the first fifteen minutes, West Hartlepool came out and played some of the best rugby we have seen this season at Davidson Park.
We then took advantage of a loose ball, and that try kept us in the game, and stalled some of their momentum.
We struggled in the set piece for the first thirty minutes, although as half time approached we were able regain parity. At half time, we spoke about the importance of our set piece functioning, and that lay as the foundation for the comeback.
In the second half we recognised we were in the ascendancy and started to take advantage of the momentum we were creating thanks to Man of the Match Matty Roper, with Matty Atkinson outstanding in the lineout, and this led to our third try.
We learnt lessons from the Morpeth game and the belief of a comeback and the win oozed throughout the squad going into the final five minutes. We applied pressure, had patience, and created a huge overlap, and that led to the the match winning penalty try.”
Keswick’s Cumbria 1 team continued their good form, winning their third game in a row, a convincing 14-51 victory away at Workington Zebras with a man of the Match performance from an outstanding Joe Quail, two tries from Keelan Johnson and one each from Jake Winter, Joe Quail, Liam Quail, Ben Clark, Callum McLary and Sam Holt, with Ste Holloway kicking four conversions and a penalty goal.
Holmes said: “The performances of the team are really important for our squad to develop and progress in both leagues and it’s so encouraging to see that team sitting well placed in eighth in the County table. “
