By Gareth Davies at Derwent Park

BETFRED LEAGUE ONE, ROUND SEVEN

Workington Town 52 Cornwall RLFC 18

CORNWALL delivered a much-improved showing but they were defeated by a Jarrod Sammut-inspired Workington Town in Cumbria on Sunday.

The 925-mile round trip from the Memorial Ground to the Lake District saw Cornwall start the game well and they led 6-0 after 18 minutes.

But Workington gradually took control and ultimately secured victory.

Cornwall chief Mike Abbott made three changes from the side which was beaten by Midlands Hurricanes a week earlier.

In the back division, there was a debut for Aaron Small after he joined the Choughs from London Skolars during the off season. 

In the halves, Morgan Punchard, who was 18th man against the Hurricanes, partnered with Bailey Black, while at hookerLuke Collins and Nathan Conroy swapped roles with Collins in from the off. 

The Choughs suffered a record 72-6 defeat by Midlands Hurricanes, but after 18 minutes of a bruising encounter, Abbott’s side led 6-0 thanks to Black’s try, converted by Cameron Brown.

Workington were also temporarily reduced to 12-men shortly before Black’s opener when Jake Lightowler was sent for a 10-minute sabbatical by referee Andrew Sweet, for a high tackle on Tom Ashton.

Coby Nichol soon followed Lightowler to the bin following a rapid break up field by Jordan Burns, and Cornwall conceded shortly after. 

Hooker Matty Henson sniped over from marker and with Carl Forber converting, the match was tied up at 6-6.

Sammut then announced himself to the Cumbrian faithful with the first of three tries after a Burns kick in midfield. Cornwall can feel aggrieved that a forward pass was not picked up by referee Sweet.

Just after the half hour mark Forber was put on report for a high tackle on Black, which seemed to warrant another yellow card before Workington scored again in controversial circumstances. 

Henson went to burrow over from close range again and despite Cornwall seemingly holding up the home number nine, it was awarded.

Holding an 18-6 interval lead, Cornwall were not out of the game by any stretch, but soon shipped three tries in five minutes.

Punchard failed to gather the kick-off cleanly and Tyler Walton powered over.

Burns then broke from deep to score with Sammut putting the game beyond Cornwall with a brilliant individual effort. The former Super League star, 37, spotted the Cornwall line flat and chipped through, gathered his own kick, offloaded, but supported the home attack to finish brilliantly. 

Cornwall were teetering at this point and they had scored when prop Josh Rhodes crashed over, only to be ruled as held up. 

Cornwall did score again with 23 minutes left as Conroy matched the feat of Henson to scoot over from dummy-half. But any hopes of a comeback were extinguished when Jack Stephenson powered home from close-range.

And, again, the Cornwall floodgates appeared to open as Sammut duly completed his treble with just over 15 minutes left. 

Nichol was sent to the bin for a second time in the aftermath of Sammut’s third although Cornwall dug in and finished the game well. 

Jake Lloyd appeared to gather Conroy’s grubber to score but Sweet remained unmoved before Workington finished their tally when winger Jonny Hutton strolled in out wide. 

The final word did go to the lively Brown who pounced on a Punchard kick to score in the final minute of the game which Cornwall can take huge encouragement from.

CORNWALL: Brown, Nichol, Small, Ashton, Aaronson, Black, Punchard, Ross, Collins, Dimech, Weetman, Simpson, Lloyd. Interchange (all used): Rhodes, Bannister, Conroy, O’Callaghan.

Tries: Black (6), Conroy (57), Brown (79); Goals: Brown 3/3.