Kirkby Lonsdale moved eight points clear at the top of the Counties 1 Cumbria table after an important victory.
They beat Carlisle, one of the two sides level behind the leaders, 34-22 although they have played a game more than their pursuers.
They scored five tries through Charlie Oates, Lee Benson, Archie Bamforth, Stuart Storey and Jake Stewart.
Three of the tries were converted by Stewart who also kicked a penalty.
The defeat was a blow to Carlisle who have dropped to third on games won as the race for promotion enters a crucial stage.
Hawcoat Park continued their push with a 31-3 win at St Benedict’s despite having a few key members of the squad missing. It was a great team effort from the Furness side, particularly in the second-half.
Bennies had taken the lead with a penalty and the only other score of the first-half was an unconverted try for Hawcoat.
After a spell of pressure with hard grafting front row colleagues and club stalwarts Brad Morrow and Andy Kent both going close, co-captain and scrum half Jack Shannon spotted a gap and did well to force his way from close range.
The second half wind advantage was perfect for captain Dan Lightfoot to control play putting them on the front foot with both the boot and ball in hand.
Early in the half a good run by centre Tom Roberts backed up by full back Lewis Sayle set the platform for hooker Brad Morrow to force his way over.
Mike Lightfoot, who is rapidly approaching 300 first team caps for the club, put up a man of the match performance with back rowers Rory Sayle and Harry Higgins also putting in great shifts.
It was good work by influential scrum half Jack Shannon and Mike Lightfoot that allowed his brother Dan to force his way over from close range for a try which he converted.
What followed was the most crucial part of the game as Bennies regrouped and had an intense ten minutes battering away at the visitors’ line.
Hawcoat’s task was made tougher when the hard tackling Harry Higgins copped for a yellow card rest for the persistent infringement ruling.
Morgan McArthur made the most crucial play to end this consistent pressure. With a great ball steal in contact allowing Dan Lightfoot to put his boot through the ball with a 50 metre clearing kick down the touch line.
This appeared to knock the impetuous out of Bennies and Hawcoat finished strongly. By now Liam Ducie had joined the play as prop with son Charlie in the back row.
The young Ducie looks a great prospect as he continues to gain experience and early in his senior career he certainly has the knack of knowing where the try line is.
Following more good work by Digby Woodham and hardworking replacement Freddie Foster, Ducie junior forced his way over for the bonus point try. Dan Lightfoot converted 3- 24.
The final try fittingly went to outstanding full back Lewis Sayle. When the ball was moved out wide following the strong work by the forwards, centre Tom Roberts spotted Sayle bursting into the line and gave him the perfect pass to sell one of his trademark dummies and slice through under the posts from 40 metres out.
There was also a thanks from Hawcoat for having the best referee in the county, Carlisle based Martin Maughan.
A Hawcoat official said: “He has such a great rapport and respect of the players allowing him to look as if he is enjoying the game and sensibly control proceedings unnoticed, certainly from the touchline.”
Following their smash and grab victory at Ambleside the previous week, Workington Zebras made it four wins on six games as they maintained their mid-table stability with a 32-10 home victory against Creighton.
It was a tight contest, with large parts of the match dominated by doughty scrummaging and stoic defending from both sides with Workington only really securing maximum points in the last two minutes as Creighton began to tire.
Zebras’ tries came from Jack Todhunter, Jake Heskett and birthday boy Alex Nicholson while they were also awarded a penalty try. Cade Bales landed two penalties and two conversions.
Other scores: Millom 14, Egremont 37; Whitehaven 52, Windermere 12; Cockermouth home walk-over v Penrith 2nds.
