Workington Town Ladies secured another win to extend their winning run in Women’s RL League One, defeating Illingworth Ladies 38-6 in near gale force winds at the Ellis Sports Ground.
After a delayed kick off to accommodate the Illingworth warm up after a late arrival, Workington Town Ladies had the perfect start when captain Beth Adams charged forwards and set up a run from Bethani Fearns and a try attempt from Leonie Bragg who was blocked within centimetres of the Illingworth try line.
It mattered not, Workington scored from the next play: despite being pinned down, vice captain Georgia Naylor squeezed the ball through the legs of an Illingworth defender to touch down, with Keeley Chatters adding an impressive conversion in the swirling gusts of wind.
With Illingworth playing with the wind against them, the restart kick was held up and gained no yards at all, and Town attacked again, with Josie Scrimgour setting up Fearns who outpaced the Illingworth defence to dive in under the sticks for a try, giving Chatters an easier conversion despite the conditions, and it was 12-0 to Town.
Illingworth finally found their rhythm and moved up the field of play into the Workington half, only to be met by resolute Town defence.
With Town back in possession, an unstoppable Leonie Bragg set off from deep in her own half, crashing through a series of tackles to sprint in under the sticks for Town’s third converted try and a 18-0 lead with 15 minutes played.
Workington added to their total with a fourth and final try in the first half, this one from Josie Scrimgour who went in from 5 metres out and to touch down in the right hand corner for an unconverted try with twenty minutes played.
That was it for first half scoring, and Workington went into the break with a 22-0 lead.
Town started the second half where they had left off in the first, although now playing into the wind, and extended their lead with a try from Kayley Robinson-Murray for 26-0.
Robinson-Murray for then her second for lead of 30-0 which looked far too big a lead for Illingworth to catch. And Workington again extended their lead when
Scrimgour went over for her second when she collected the ball from the scrum and blazed down almost the length of the pitch to touch down for a dominating 34-0 lead on the hour.
Illingworth finally got on the score sheet with a late converted try, but 34-6 but there was still time for Robinson-Murray to complete her hat trick with an unconverted try and a final score line of 38-6. Town were having a party, and Illingworth were (indeed) in the bin.
