Keswick 15 Cockermouth 5

Keswick 2nd XV’s final Cumbria 2 Shield League of the season was played against Cockermouth at Davidson Park on Friday under floodlights. It has been a fragmented season, affected by Covid, meaning that teams, including Keswick, were sometimes unable to field a side. Of the 22 matches Keswick should have played, only 12 took place, equalled by Penrith and bettered only by Windermere with 13 games. No other team was able to reach double figures and with a record of 6 wins and 6 defeats, Keswick 2nd XV have ended the season in second place, behind Penrith.

Friday’s game, in front of a good crowd, started with an exchange of penalties, Keswick unsuccessful with a kick at goal from the 10 metre line. From the restart drop out on the 22, Danny Price made a good run back and with a one-man overlap opted to chip through, Callum Oswald winning the foot race to score on 7 minutes, the conversion attempt by Steve Holloway successful, 7-0.

Keswick’s line out was misfiring, being overthrown, but the kicking from hand was going well. A penalty kick to the corner was taken in the line out and driven, but with the forwards unable to cross the line the ball was passed to the backs who won a penalty under the posts. The goal kick went wide and Cockermouth dropped out, but straight into touch for a Keswick scrum. The larger Cockermouth pack were unable to benefit in the set piece, but had the upper hand driving round the breakdown, whereas the faster Keswick backs had the advantage running the ball, though on occasion their handling was not as good as it could have been.

The 2 evenly matched sides began the second half still with just the one score, the first penalty going to Cockermouth but they were unable to turn it to their advantage. Keswick won the subsequent line out and Danny Price made a good run, the ball going into touch just 5 metres out. Having defended successfully, the visitors were finally unable to do so when Keswick kept the ball tight before passing it out for Jonny Robinson to stretch for the line and extend the lead to 12-0, the conversion attempt unsuccessful.

Having had the better of the scrums in the first half, Keswick found them more difficult in the second, giving away a penalty at a scrum, for Cockermouth to mount a good attack. Opting for scrums instead of kicks at goal from kickable penalties the visitors kept the pressure on. An exchange of penalties ended with Keswick failing to find touch and the Cockermouth fullback making an excellent run before being stopped. The Keswick defence was proving to be sound and despite good possession and field position the visitors were unable to get points on the board.

A succession of penalties in the Keswick 22, mostly taken as a scrum option, failed to produce results but a tap from 5 metres out on 68 minutes and a forward drive got Cockermouth a score, 12-5, the conversion attempt unsuccessful. Getting into the Cockermouth 22 Keswick had 2 consecutive 5 metre line outs without the forwards being able to cross the line. Running the ball infield resulted in a penalty in front of the posts, which