Keswick battled their way to a nail-biting win against Cockermouth at the Wasps’ Strawberry How ground.
It wasn’t easy, and it went down to the very last play with the teams tied at 24-24, but a penalty from Ste Holloway secured the win for Keswick and a place in the final against St Benedict’s.
In a thrilling game that saw no less than five teenagers from the two clubs joint Opreys Colts squad playing, with Jamie Black, Max Carr and Ashton Quigley for Keswick, and Alfie Wright and Nathan Storey for Cockermouth, Keswick started well and had the majority of possession and pressure.
However, Cockermouth scored first against the run of play 15 minutes in when Steven Stoddart capitalised on a loose pass from Keswick to score.
Keswick responded immediately when Carr picked up a dropped ball to dart in to touch down a converted try, his senior debut and his debut Counties 1 try, only for to Cockermouth quickly score again after some strong running from their forwards with Wright darting in and Stoddart converting for a halftime score of 12-7 to the hosts.
The second half was scoreless for the first 15 minutes before the Wasps went over again with Louis Eliot dotting down from a well worked build-up.
Next up it was Keswick with excellent teamwork leading to a try scored by Black, but Cockermouth’s began to take control and their accurate kicking pinned Keswick back into their own half and eventually led Cockermouth’s fourth try when an overthrown lineout was caught by a Will Nixon who dived over the line to score an easy try making the score 24-10.
It was now an uphill struggle for Keswick, but with the clock ticking down, the Keswick forward pack stood up to the challenge and wore down the Cockermouth defence through some strong running, helped on by indiscipline from the Wasps which resulted in a sin binning.
Keswick finally broke through the Wasp’s defence from a quick penalty with Captain Jake Winter scoring the visitor’s third try, this one not converted.
With five minutes left on the clock Keswick’s Black and Carr broke through the Cockermouth defence but Keswick were blocked just two metres from the line.
However, a Cockermouth infringement in the resulting ruck stopping Keswick from getting the ball away and the referee awarded a penalty try to Keswick to make the scores level 24-24.
With just two minutes left to play, Keswick were attacking on the halfway line but were penalised for a side entry in a ruck, and sensing the opportunity for a win Cockermouth opted to kick the penalty.
This could have been heartbreak for Keswick but that effort fell some 10 metres short of the posts.
Keswick resumed their attack but were again penalised (for not releasing) and understandably Cockermouth opted for another kick at goal, but the kick went just wide and of the posts.
Again Keswick went on the attack, and slowly gained territory and made progress into the Cockermouth half after determined running from the entire pack.
With the time gone and now eighty six minutes on the clock, Keswick’s backs moved the ball so Keswick had possession just five metres out, and when Cockermouth failed to release in the ruck Keswick were awarded a penalty.
They were close to the Wasps’ try line, but the ball was out wide on the left hand touchline, and this would not be an easy kick. Cometh the moment, cometh the man, and Ste Holloway stepped up and kicked the ball perfectly through the uprights to hand Keswick the victory that they had doggedly plucked from the gaping jaws of defeat.
Keswick will face St Benedict’s in the Cumbria Shield Final after the West Cumbrians defeated Hawcoat Park 73-7.
The date and venue for the final has yet to be determined by Cumbria RU.
