REPORT: TOWN VS MIDLANDS

We took on one of the form teams in the league on Sunday. Here is the report.

Workington Town went toe-to-toe with one of the competition’s form teams on Sunday, narrowly falling 24–20 to Midlands Hurricanes in a performance that showed just how far this group has come.

Against a side now firmly established in the top two, Town proved they are more than capable of competing at that level, pushing Midlands right to the final moments despite a growing injury list and further disruptions during the game.

The opening stages were evenly contested, with both sides feeling their way into the match. Midlands struck first after finding a gap, but Town’s response was immediate and full of quality.

In a superb attacking spell, we hit back with two tries in quick succession. Rio Corkill produced a moment of brilliance with a perfectly disguised pass to send Braden Leigh over in the corner, before Jake Dickinson finished off a slick move moments later following excellent work from Evan Lawther. In the blink of an eye, Town had turned the game on its head.

Although Midlands edged back in front just before the break, there was a real sense of belief within the Town side and that continued into the second half.

Despite an early setback after the restart, the response once again highlighted the character in this group. Jamie Doran, introduced from the bench, made an instant impact, putting Jack Ainley through a gap to bring Town right back into the contest.

Even as Midlands managed to extend their lead through penalties and field position, Town refused to go away. The effort, intensity, and willingness to compete was there for all to see, especially considering the challenges the squad is currently facing.

Injuries once again played a part, with key players forced from the field, disrupting momentum at crucial stages. But rather than fold, Town kept fighting.

That determination was rewarded late on when Guy Graham powered over to close the gap, setting up a tense finish. With the crowd behind them, Town pushed hard in the closing stages, pressing for what would have been a deserved result.

Ultimately, the visitors just held on, but the final whistle told a bigger story than the scoreline.

This was a performance full of positives. To come within a score of one of the league’s top sides, while managing injuries and continuing to integrate players, shows the clear progress being made week by week.

There is a resilience building within this squad, and performances like this underline that Workington Town are moving in the right direction.

With continued improvement, growing combinations, and players stepping up every week, it feels like a matter of time before results begin to match performances consistently.

The focus now turns to building on this display because if this level continues, the wins will follow.

The squad now have the weekend off to recover and build on that performance, before taking on another league heavyweight in Oldham on the 26th of April.