Penrith facing crunch clash
Last updated 20:25, Thursday, 17 April 2008
ON the eve of Penrith’s crunch North One survival game at Middlesbrough, rugby development manager Nigel Beaty has announced he is to stand down.
The Cumbrians need to win and also for Darlington to lose their home game against Birkenhead Park to enable them to stay where they are and avoid relegation.
They also need Liverpool St. Helens to lose one of their two remaining games, but the first target is to win tomorrow.
However Beaty says: “I will be finishing my role as part time rugby development manager at the end of the season.
“Hopefully the club will be able to announce a head coach for next season shortly, something that was not addressed last season so I had to include the role within the rugby development manager’s role.
“It was a sad day when I informed the club that I would not continue having been involved as a player or coach for almost 30 years.
“But I have stated my unhappiness for over a year and with little progress in the organisational structure of the club I needed to move on. I hope the club will take things on board and move forward.
“In the five seasons I have been in the role I believe we have made great strides.”
For the trip to Middlesbrough Mark Bowman is hopeful of being fit to take a position on the bench while Phil Fell, who is fully fit again, comes in at full back for Jon Potter.
There’s also a big game in prospect at Warwick Road where Carlisle need to beat third-in-the-table Driffield to make sure they stay in North Two East.
They are level on points with Old Crossleyans, who currently occupy the third relegation berth, and the pair are just a point behind Hartlepool Rovers who have the toughest fixture tomorrow at neighbours and League champions West Hartlepool Ben Rimene has returned home to New Zealand so James Clark comes in from the wing to take over and young Ollie Barker is brought back out wide.
Matt Charters returns to the second-row, after being unavailable for last week’s trip to Morpeth so Martin McGimpsey drops to the bench in place of Martin Grealish.
Aspatria entertain Durham City who will be involved in the promotion play-off game for a step-up to North One.
The Black Reds, who lost at Hartlepool Rovers last week, are waiting for fitness checks on Steve Davidson (knee), Gary Hodgson (dead leg) and Jason Spires, and are hoping that Adrian Bateson might be back in the squad after his lambing duties on the farm. Mark Bowe returns to the pack.
Wigton have no North Lancs Cumbria League fixture tomorrow, but still have to play at De La Salle (called-off last Saturday) and St. Benedict’s.
But it’s quite a day at Lowmoor Road tomorrow as the club celebrates 125 years of rugby.
The action kicks-off 12-30pm with a Colts match between Wigton and Thornesians, a touring team from Doncaster.
It’s rugby all the way because following on from that, in a conveyor belt of live action, the Wanderers host Creighton in a Cumbria League match.
The main course is a traditional Past versus Present game in which former club heroes like Phil Graham, Jimmy Thompson, Mike Armstrong, Stephen Milnes and Matthew Lynch will be participating. Current club coach Malcolm Brown, although a Black Red in his own playing days, is considered an honourable Green now and will be appearing as well.
The day will be rounded off with a dinner in the clubhouse when ex-Wigton and Cumberland full-back John Bell will provide the evening’s entertainment in his own inimitable fashion.
In the Cumbria League Keswick want to complete their season unbeaten and the champions finish-off at BAE Barrow who were thumped 90-5 by neighbours Millom last week.
Creighton travel to Wigton Wanderers while Aspatria Eagles entertain Millom.
