Workington 10 Featherstone 24: Ellis and Cooke help cement top spot for impressive Featherstone

The Cumbrians opened the scoring after four minutes, Jarrad Sammut made a dart 30 yards out and found Jack Murphy. He put in a driving run before finding Elliott Miller and although he was tackled managed to slip the ball to Callum Phillips who hared in for the try which Sammut improved.

Gradually, though, with Andy Ellis and Paul Cooke probing and prompting in midfield Featherstone started to apply strong pressure and the resistance was broken on 14 minutes when Cooke spread a huge ball out wide and Alex Foster finished with an unconverted try.

It continued to be Featherstone dominating possession but in a rare Town break-out Sammut’s clever kick put-in Elliott Miller for the second try. Carl Forber hit the post with the conversion.

Featherstone, unbeaten under John Sharp, took nine minutes of the second half to get on terms. They moved the ball left and Will Sharp was there to finish off. Paul Sykes put up a fine touchline conversion.

Three minutes later they had the lead. This time it was Steve Snitch who finished-off after some clever, short passing near the Town line had found the gap.

Sykes converted before adding a penalty.

When Karl Olstrum was sin-binned for complaining too strongly after a penalty award went against Town, the game was up although the final converted try five minutes from the end rather gave the scoreline an unjust look.

It was Will Milner who dotted the ball down after exchanging passes with Jordan Baldwinson and Sykes tacked on the extras.

Workington Town: Murphy, Miller, Mossop, Akehurst, Carter, Doran, Sammut, Coward, C. Phillips, Shackley, B. Phillips, Szostak, Olstrum. Substitutes: Whiteley, McAvoy, Walker, Forber.

Featherstone Rovers: Hardman, Johnson, Sykes, Foster, Sharp, Cooke, Milner, Baldwinson, Ellis, Bussey, Spears, Snitch, Ormondroyd. Substitutes: Day, Tagg, Cooper, Coventry.

Referee: A Sweet (RFL).