A disappointing first-half performance cost Whitehaven again as they went down 30-10 at home to Hunslet.
Another slow start, and some sloppy tries conceded, allowed the visitors to establish a 24-0 lead by half-time.
It was small consolation that there was improvement in the second half and that Haven shaded the scoring 10-6 but the overall feeling was of frustration.
Frustration was the overall reaction in the Whitehaven camp, who had an inkling of what might happen when Hunslet scored in the first minute of the game.
A break from second-row forward Harrison Gilmore and a pass inside to the supporting centre Myles Harrop ended with him stepping round full-back Cole Walker-Taylor to score under the posts. Billy Jowitt converted.
On ten minutes Hunslet increased the lead after Harrop had done the spadework this time with a good break and a final well-judged pass for winger Jimmy Watson to touchdown. Gain Jowitt landed the conversion.
Whitehaven were not helping themselves with missed tackles in key areas of the field. Isaac Misky was next to take advantage with the third try on 24 minutes for Jowitt to improve.
The fourth try of the firs -half came three minutes before the break and again brittle defence was exposed as Charlie Graham put Jack Ward in for the try which Jowitt converted.
Whitehaven needed a response and two tries in the 50th and 57th minutes raised hopes they could fight their way back into the contest.
Ciaran Walker was first over the Hunslet line, taking advantage of a slip by Lee Gaskell but he couldn’t tack on the extra two points.
This time Walker got away on final tackle and had Barrow loanee Seth Woodend with him to take the pads and go over for the try. Walker added the conversion and at 24-10 with over half an hour to play the recovery looked on.
It could have got better but Jackson Smith was controversially pulled back after Harvey Hallas had attempted a one-on-one strip.
Instead it was Hunslet who sealed the win four minutes from time when Misky went over for his second try and this time ex-Whitehaven half-back Dan Abram landed the extras.
- Whitehaven MOM – Ciaran Walker.
- Crowd: 608
Listen to James Newton’s thoughts on the game below:
