
A big crowd with good support for both clubs turned out at the Pit Field to watch on as Kells locked horns with Egremont Rangers in the National Conference League in the Cumbrian Division One derby, writes Ben Challis.
This was a hard fought and sometimes grinding battle, won as much in defence as with attack, and a game which was close at half time, and just as close at full time after a late Kells’ comeback almost snatched a victory for the home side.
After a brutal first 10 minutes with some big tackles, Egremont began to look the better side and drew first blood when Jax Conway sprinted up the right wing to dive over for an unconverted try.
After another 10 minutes of tough, physical rugby, Kells’ James Ennis set up a charge from Ashton Sice who barrelled his way through the Egremont defence for an unconverted try.

With the scores level it was Egremont who ended the first half the better, and with two minutes left on the clock Conway was over, again on the right wing, for his second unconverted try.
It was hugely entertaining but sometimes stuttering first half as ball handling errors, injuries and and penalties stopped the flow of the game, but anyone’s to win going into the second half.

The first 10 minutes of the second half was dominated by Egremont and they took full advantage of poor Kells’ defence with Matt Bewsher charging through for a try with the conversion added by Kye Beckett, and five minutes later Bewsher was over again to score with Beckett again adding the extras to give the visitors what looked like a comfortable 4-20 lead.
Kells had other thoughts, and still had half an hour left to get back into the game, and after waves of attacks, on 66 minutes James Ennis dived over for Kells on the left wing, with his try converted by Ross Gainford.

Harley Nelson then acrobatically dived in, again on the left wing, for what would have been the try of the game, only to have his effort chalked off for a forward pass in the build up.
As the clock ticked down, Kells got a third try on 78 minutes from Lewis Smith, again converted by Gainford.
It was a tense, exciting closing few minutes with time added on for injuries as Kells looked for a way to get a final score, but Egremont held on, and when Smith was bundled into touch in a last gasp Kells attack, referee Lewis O’Brien’s whistle went with the final score 16-20 to Egremont.

The Pit Field battle was one of two Cumbrian derbies in the NCL on Saturday, with Hensingham winning their Division Two battle with Barrow Island by a margin of 20-12, with the Hesingham tries from Corby Rickerby, Fletcher Holgate, Miller Dalton and Adam Williamson, with Dalton and Williamson adding one conversion each.
Barrow’s tries were from Finn Dutton and Adam Ford, with Sam Jones adding two goals. Also in Division Two, Ellenborough Rangers went down to 28-16 away defeat at Hull Dockers.
In Division Three Millom snatched a 32-20 win at home over Milford with Josh Blinkhorn and Tom Askey both going over for two tries, along with tries from Jonty Peters and Hadley Thompson, with Peters adding four goals, but Distington fell to a 10-14 home defeat to Myton Warriors.
The result of the day was in the Premier Division where Wath Brow Hornets took a much needed and impressive 28-12 win over Siddal, with tries from Conor Molyneaux, Devan Sharp, Jack Meagan, Matt Huby and Owen McCartney, and four goals from Greg Rooney for the victory.