FALCONS WARM UP FOR PREMIERSHIP RUN-IN WITH DOMINANT WIN

Thursday 24 April 2014 Written by: Adam


Four tries from Sean Brown, a hat-trick from Danny Barnes and a try apiece for Ollie Hodgson, Lee Smith, George Hedgley and Andy Davies blew their Cumbrian counterparts away in this most one sided of contests.

However, the night was overshadowed by the sight of Ryan Shortland being stretchered off with what appeared to be a leg injury and the extent of the damage is not yet known.

Despite what the scoreline suggests, Cumbria fought tooth and nail right to the bitter end and rounded off the contest with a try of their own. But, under the backdrop of Carlisle United Football Club, the night belonged to Newcastle who were in clinical mood with every attack.

After Glen Weightman put the hosts in front with a second minute penalty, the Falcons hit-back immediately through Sean Brown who touched down under the posts. Making his third appearance for the Falcons since his cross-code switch last month, Lee Smith was the architect for the score with an inch-perfect offload 10 metres out. Clegg made no mistake from directly in front of the posts for a 7-3 lead.

Newcastle’s forward dominance was clear to see with Kieran Brookes champing at the bit in the front-row, eager to show what he could do on his return from suspension. Cumbria weathered a series of attacks, however, and reduced the deficit to 7-6 courtesy of Weightman’s boot, his second goal of the evening.

Holding a slender one point advantage with the half hour mark looming, Newcastle took control of affairs and hit the Cumbrian’s with four tries in the space of 10 minutes to go into the break very much in the ascendancy.

First Ollie Hodgson crashed over from close-range, before the impressive Harry Bate crossed the whitewash with a magnificent solo effort from half way. The Newcastle University back-row was certainly enjoying himself alongside the more senior heads in the side.

Brown bagged his brace two minutes from the interval, sprinting clear of three would-be tacklers to dive over. And on the stroke of half-time former Leeds Rhino Smith latched onto a neat pass from James Fitzpatrick after the Leeds Carnegie bound centre had sliced through Cumbria’s rear-guard unchallenged. Clegg’s simple conversion put Newcastle 33-6 up at the break.

The second half was much the same as the first with Newcastle carving open Carlisle’s defensive line at will, and within two minutes of the restart Brown bagged his hat-trick. Clegg converted to bring up the 40-point mark for the Falcons.

Five minutes later replacement centre Danny Barnes got in on the act with literally his first touch of the game, sniping in from the base of a ruck to make it 46-6. Not content with just the three tries, Brown registered his fourth on 52 minutes thanks to some excellent support work. Clegg’s conversion extended Newcastle’s advantage to 53-6. George Hedgley was next on the scoresheet, taking an inside pass from Fitzpatrick to slide over to break the 60-point barrier, before the promising evening was halted by Shortland’s injury on 55 minutes.

Determined not to let the injury distract them from continuing the rout, Barnes crossed for a quick-fire double to grab himself a hat-trick before Andy Davies rounded off the gluttony of tries for Newcastle with five minutes remaining.

Cumbria did however have the last say with their forwards driving over for a try with the last play of the game, but Newcastle, Shortland injury aside, will be satisfied with a good night’s work in Carlisle.