RUGBY'S Cumbria League joint leaders met on Saturday and Windermere welcomed back Jason Balmer for his seasonal bow, but left themselves with a 20-point deficit to make up and narrowly failed to do so.

In the first half Windermere's sluggish start allowed Netherhall to enjoy the majority of play as the visitors struggled to get over the halfway line.

Home fly-half Andy Southall landed a drop-goal to put Netherhall ahead after 10 minutes, but Windermere responded to earn a penalty for offside which Chris Sansom put over midway through the first half.

At that stage, Windermere were doing well to stay on level terms, but Netherhall's better cohesion enabled them to stretch away, starting with a penalty for offside.

Just before half time the Netherhall forwards drove from halfway into the Windermere 22 and fed the ball out to the backs to score in the corner, adding the conversion for a 13-3 half-time lead.

Netherhall put another 10 points into the visitors without reply in the second half, another penalty followed by a converted try as the Maryport side seized on a stray ball after a skirmish by the Windermere backs broke down.

Winger Balmer was playing his first game since returning from Kendal, and began to find his feet with a number of incisive runs, but the support was lacking to follow them through.

The fightback came, however, with replacement Roger Watson and James Nield combining well and enabling the visitors to make inroads into the Netherhall 22.

Fly-half Jonathan Cooper chased a chip through from the backs to score Windermere's first try and Sansom converted.

At last the forwards began to pick up the pace and put Netherhall on the back foot to give Cooper an overlap to score again, and Sansom's conversion cut the gap to 23-17.

A frantic final 10 minutes saw both sides have an equal amount of ball but Windermere unable to make the breakthrough to avoid their first league defeat.

Windermere's attentions turn to the Powergen Junior Vase this Saturday with the visit of Chorley.

n An under-strength Upper Eden were unable to counter Carlisle's pace and went down 27-0.

Eden were without three key decision-makers and lost the experienced Phil Sinclair with an early knock.

Carlisle's South African Clinton Myneheart scored two tries and Jason Lehman and Graham Kidd the others.