GETTY Schinkel was full of praise for his battling players after ending their losing streak to climb off the bottom of North Lancs One.

Burnley had to send a makeshift side up to the Lakes with four forwards in the back division – including prop Billy Ingham who scored a try and kicked a conversion and a penalty!

Schinkel is hoping the win will now kick start Burnley’s season after losing seven of their opening 10 fixtures.

“I have nothing but praise for the lads who travelled up to Windermere,” he said. “It is the hardest place to go with a full strength side let alone one that was patched up like ours was.

“But the boys tackled like demons and put their bodies on the line to keep them at bay. It was a wonderful, fully committed defensive display and I am very proud.”

It had appeared that Burnley – who have 23 players out injured – were heading for another defeat after conceding a try within five minutes then a penalty to go 8-0 down.

But they hit back with a try from outside half Simon Finnan which was converted by Ingham.

Ingham then kicked a penalty to put Burnley in to the lead and the prop-turned centre crashed over for a try to make it 15-8.

Windermere hit back with a try to cut the gap to two points and despite sin-binnings for Luca Angelone and then Adam Lee – which meant Burnley finished the game with 14 men – Schinkel’s men repelled everything their hosts could throw at them.

“Hopefully this has galvanised the team and we can kick on from here,” said Schinkel. “There were some happy players on that coach home.”