Last updated at 15:55, Thursday, 20 May 2010

MILLOM’S season as the nearly men ended with another disappointment when they lost in the final of the Cumbria Plate.

HOPEFUL FOR THE FUTURE: Millom coach Ryan Whelan

RUGBY UNION

Whitehaven 27 Millom 16

Having missed out on promotion by way of a play-off defeat at Didsbury, they had to settle for another second place finish when they went down to the undefeated league champions.

But coach Ryan Whelan was able to look on the bright side and take a positive view of things to come.

“A season of so near, yet so far,” he said. “We went up to Whitehaven without four first team regulars and feeling bit down after missing out on promotion, but the boys did brilliantly.

“We may even have got something out of it if the game had gone on about five minutes longer. We were pressing their line but just couldn’t get over.

“Whitehaven are unbeaten all season, so there’s no disgrace in losing to them.

“We have some young lads coming through so I am very positive about next season.”

Tries from Glyn Thompson and Stephen McConnell gave Whitehaven the edge before Millom clawed their way back into the hunt with two Danny Redhead penalties.

But hopes of a match-winning comeback were dented when Scott Sanderson stretched the gap to 14 points.

A try in the corner from Paul Lancaster and a superb conversion from McConnell completed the Whitehaven scoring, but the Millom spirit earned them tries from Adam Redhead and James Wilson to round off a year of near misses.

First published at 13:15, Thursday, 20 May 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk