Workington Finches' RFU Women's Junior Cup run came to an agonising end in the 4th Round as they were narrowly edged out 19 - 15 by Driffield at The Ellis in what was a pulsating encounter.

The opening 15 minutes was one-way Finches traffic as the hosts proceeded to swamp Driffield territory with captain Charlotte Cammack once again calling the shots and she very nearly opened the scoring after ten minutes, but was thwarted by a resolute Driffield backline which - to their credit - rode the never-ending onslaught.

A high tackle on 15 minutes saw Kate Smith receive a yellow card and this seemed to temper Workington's momentum as Driffield gradually used the extra woman advantage.

Then on 23 minutes, Driffield broke the deadlock after a quick break caught the Finches flat footed and Beth Pottinger stormed over for an unconverted try.

Smith's return boosted Workington and again they pressed deeper in search of a try but once again, Driffield soaked up the pressure and 5 minutes from time increased their lead when a series of quick driving scrums ended with Ashleigh Nightingale touching down and Mal Halstead converting.

But Workington were not in the mood to go quietly and after regaining advantage they reduced the deficit on the stroke of half time after a well worked move was finished off by Lucy Meadley crashing down followed by Shaz Dunne's impeccable conversion.

For the opening 20 minutes of the first half, the Finches were again the dominant side as they ploughed their way deeper into their opponent's half - with Cammack, Dunne, Danielle Easdon, Rose Ann Cleaton Elsa Whelan and debutant Jodie Morley all in the throbbing heat of the action and on the hour, their dominance reaped the jackpot as another executed scrum saw Cammack throw herself over the whitewash for her 9th try of the season. However, Dunne was desperately unlucky with her conversion attempt and at 12 - 12 it was now game on.

However five minutes later, Driffield punctured the Finches advantage by regaining the lead as they capitalised on sloppy marking and Alex Stimpson wasted no time in going over the corner before Halstead added another conversion.

Two minutes later, Steph Ratcliffe was the 2nd Finches player to taste yellow - rather harshly - after what seemed to be an innocuous challenge was viewed by the referee as dangerous.

Although down to 14 women once again, Workington began to throw everything at Driffield and launched wave of attacks and surges that stretched the visitors to breaking point.

Then, three minutes from time, the Finches went for broke as Nicole Stewart was instructed to take the three points with a coolly taken penalty - the endgame being a potential last minute smash and grab victory (which they have done before in seasons past).

But despite their constant pressure, Driffield just about held it together and the final whistle brought cheers laced with a huge sigh of relief - in a season that has seen them undefeated in league and cup, this was - by their coach's own admission - the toughest game they have endured.

Despite the result, there are several positives to be taken from the match -

1) Shaz Dunne once again provided no-nonsense, intimidating defensive duty.

2) Elsa Whelan refused to be pushed around and was always in the thick of it.

3)Rose Ann Cleaton rolling back the years with another tireless performance.

4) Danielle Easdon again showcasing her flexibility of switching from forward to backs with effortless ease.

5) New girl Jodie Morley delivering rampant energy and precocious confidence whenever she received the ball - clearly she is another Finches "Young Gun" to watch out for as the season ticks by.

Workington can now focus on the league and will be back in action on Sunday 5th January when they entertain Stockport Scarlets at The Ellis.

By John Hastings @ The ESG