RUGBY: Upper Eden rescued their North Lancs/Cumbria season in grand style on Saturday with a resounding victory at Workington.

Third from bottom of the table before kick-off, Eden knew they had to produce the goods and the whole team responded by playing their best rugby of the season. Many now believe this victory will mark a turnaround in their fortunes.

After the opening exchanges, Eden began to pose a real threat. Right winger Dan Murray went close after good work by centre Phil Sinclair and then a driving maul yeilded their first points, Ian Gowing breaking through for a try, converted by Colin Mbongwa.

Eden dominated the next phase of the game, but conceded too many penalties to convert good field pisitions into points. Gowing hurt his back and had to be replaced by Colin Wolstenholme, but he quickly made his presence felt with a break that enabled scrumn-half Simon Alderson to touch-down under the posts. Mbongwa slotted over the conversion and, although Workington replied with a penalty goal, Eden were proving irresitible.

Even a dodgy lineout ball came good when it was grabbed by Kiwi flanker Andy Kerr. Eden's man-of -the-match simply ran it over the line and Mbongwa's magic boot landed the the conversion yet again, despite the distance and angle.

More good work by Sinclair set up a ground-gaining move that sucked in the Workington defence. And, when the ball was worked out wide again, flanker Jeremy Vessey found himself unmarked and added a fourth try to take the half-time score to 28-03.

Almost from the restart, Mbongwa kicked a penalty but Workington had still not given up. They set several attacks and recycled until they could put their winger over for a try in the corner on the blind side of the ruck. However, the conversion was missed and Eden's bullish response was their best try of all. Several sets of hands fed the ball out wide to Murray and the rapidly developing winger had the confidence and speed to outpace his cover and score. The immaculate Mbongwa did the rest with the conversion.

Eden were by now really turning up the heat.

Sinclair went over for another try take take the score to 43-08 and Mbongwa suffered his first miss of the afternoon with the conversion. But he made emends with the last kick of the game, a penalty, to end the scoring at 46-08 and underline Eden's renewed team unity.

Like the club's senior side, Upper Eden Boars also scored 46 points on Saturday, this time in a 46-05 victory over visitors Richmond.

Richmond had a decent set of forwards but their backs were easily exploited and the Boars young South African centre Senzo Sibiyia had an outstsanding game, bagging a hat-trick of tries.

Scrum-half Ben Alderson also scored twice with further tries added by Chris Scarr, Adam Knowles and Martin Henderson. The side's other South African youngster, Menzo Ngidi, made three conversions.

This weekend sees Carlisle fielding both first XV and B' side opposition at Pennine Park.