TREBLE HOT TODDY IN VICTORY TONIC FOR ZEBRAS

A stunning hat-trick from David Todhunter formed the nucleus of Workington Zebras' third victory in four games and sixth win of the season as they signed off their home campaign by edging out Millom 27 - 19 at The Ellis, a result which lifts the Zebras off the bottom of the Cumbria League to tenth.

Millom were expected to be tough opposition and from kick off were most likely to score first as they dominated Zebras territory but they were sucker punched on 10 minutes when against the run of play, Workington managed to break upfield and Scott Campbell signed off a sizzling run by offloading to Devlin Clarke, who in turn splashed down for an unconverted try.

The South Cumbrians recovered from this setback by regaining advantage from the restart and their well-drilled attacks gave the Zebras food for thought before they struck gold on 22 minutes to draw level with an unconverted try of their own.

What followed next was a period of stalemate as both sides blunted each other's attacking tendencies before getting bogged down in midfield with neither side seeming to want control - however, it was Workington who broke this impasse to take the lead again eight minutes from time when after a successful line out, a fiercely driven scrum ensued which ended with Todhunter crashing down for a fine try, which again went unconverted.

But Millom refused to be cowered and their dogged perseverance gained reward on the stroke of half time when they took the lead for the first when another well-executed attacking movement caught Workington napping and the visitors raced in for a try and the first conversion of the day.

The second half saw Workington have the wind behind them and they wasted no time in using it to their advantage when after only two minutes, they regained the lead with another unconverted try as Rob Hodgson marked his first game back after a year out injured when he was first to snaffle the ball from a scrum to plough his way over to score - the joy on his face was brighter than the floodlights, which were by this time switched on.

Millom tried in vain to breach the resolute Zebras backline and a few heads began to drop - cue Workington stepping up a gear with a combination of resolute attacks and inch perfect kicking to touch and from yet another winning line out, the bonus point was banked on 57 minutes after Todhunter drove hard and ghosted through to score his second try and the fourth to go unconverted.

By this time, Millom were doing their utmost to keep up, but it was clear that they were fighting a losing battle and on 68 minutes, Workington exploited their tiredness to seal maximum points when Todhunter completed an unlikely hat-trick as another driving scrum saw him go over the whitewash and John McCrickerd had the easiest of conversions.

At 27 - 12 up with just under ten minutes to go, the Zebras dropped back and seemed content to close out the match, but they didn't reckon for Millom's new found energy - even if they were now playing for pride if nothing else and it was the South Cumbrians who had the last word right on full time as they broke clear from halfway with a four man attack that was rounded off with a try under the sticks and an easy conversion.

Workington finish off what has been a testing campaign with a trip to second place Wigton on 16 March.

By John Hastings @ The ESG