Keswick went into this game looking for a win against bottom club Ambleside to maintain an excellent winning run, writes Ben Challis.
Captain Joe Quail got the home side off to an excellent start barrelling through for the first try just four minutes in, converted by Olly Dunn.
Just three minutes later, Thomas Downes went over for the first of four tries, again converted by Dunn, before Dunn got himself a try with a charge up the left wing for a 19-0 Keswick lead just 15 minutes in.
It took Keswick another 10 minutes to grab another try, this time with Lewis Pepper diving over, and as the first half closed Tom McDowell, who came through the very successful Cockermouth-Keswick Ospreys colts programme, made his debut senior try with an excellent sprint up the right wing.
Keswick started the second half brightly and Keswick’s first half dominance looked set to continue with Man of the Match Downes going over for three more tries in quick succession, all scored with Downes using his speed to outpace the Ambleside defence on the left wing with Keswick now reaching a 50-0 winning scoreline on the hour with eight tries and five conversions from Dunn.
That should have been it, but somehow Ambleside fought back, initially by starting to string together some good passing moves, and then taking control of possession to put Keswick on the back foot.
The resurgent visitors scored the final three tries of the game, all converted, and whilst Keswick’s win was never in doubt, it was a relief when Pepper kicked the ball into touch with time up, albeit somewhat of a scrambled kick, and straight into the face of a thankfully unharmed but somewhat bemused coach Martin Relph.
The final score was 50-21.
With seven wins on the bounce, Keswick move into fourth spot in Cumbria One, equal on points with Cockermouth (who have a game in hand) as Cockermouth secured an important away win, defeating second placed Penrith II 19-30.
Keswick and Cockermouth are now both just one point and two points respectively behind third placed Egremont and second placed Penrith II.
League leaders Wigton continued their impeccable run of wins, now having won 16 games out of 16, with a hard fought 21-45 away victory over seventh placed St Benedict’s.
Sixth placed Millom RUFC had a comfortable 27-0 bonus point win over 12th placed Windermere, eighth placed Whitehaven had a 14-7 win over ninth placed Hawcoat Park at the Playground.
