Millom 2 Blackbrook 28 AN excellent team performance by Blackbrook was more than enough to shatter the opening day victory aspirations of their Cumbrian hosts.

Blackbrook eventually broke the deadlock on 18 minutes when impressive second row man Chris Marsh forced his way over near the corner. The conversion attempt failed but four minutes later, Ian Callaghan gave the visitors a six-point advantage with an angled penalty goal.

Stand-off Paul Evans opened the homesters account with a similar effort two minutes later, and Millom launched a terrific offensive on the visitors line in an attempt to wipe out the deficit before the interval.

Trailing 2-6 with barely two minutes of the opening period remaining former Barrow RFC halfback and current Millom player-coach Bluey Kavanagh, fired out a long high pass to colleague Ian Berry out wide on the flank, but the ever alert Maloney swept inside his Cumbrian counterpart to collect before leaving full-back Glyn Robinson trailing in his wake on an 80-metre run to the Millom line, to give Brook an eight-point cushion at the interval.

There was no stopping stand off Shaw on 51 minutes when he burst through from close range to score wide of the posts. The conversion attempt failed.

Substitute Paul Rigby also made a big impact shortly after his introduction with a similar effect on 70 minutes and Ian Callaghan added a fine angled conversion to put Brook 20-2 ahead.

Five minutes later, a speculative kick to the line by Dave Ryan wrong footed the Millom defence on their left flank and Mike Maloney nipped in to grab his second try of the game. Ian Callaghan slotted over the conversion and rounded off a solid individual performance with a last minute penalty goal.

The Blackbrook/Construction Power Services man of the match went to Darren Mitchell with Chris Marsh and Phil Smith in close contention. Eccles A 30 Blackbrook A 8

Blackbrook opened the scoring with a second minute penalty goal by Paul Toole and enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges in midfield but were unable to pierce a strong Eccles rear guard.

On several occasions they were denied scoring opportunities by desperate last-ditch tackles close to their opponents' line.

However, this all changed before the break when Eccles struck a purple patch with 10-points within the space of two minutes, courtesy of two tries and one conversion.

Early handling errors combined with woeful defence proved costly for the visitors after the interval.

Eccles quickly took advantage and opened up a 22-2 lead with two converted tries.

Blackbrook responded with a converted try by Paul Toole, but it was the homesters who had the final say with a further eight points in the closing stages from a converted try and a penalty goal.

The recipient of Blackbrook/Andrew Douglas man of the match accolade was Paul Toole with Paul Holden in close contention.

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