As Workington fans cheered their deserved 4-0 lead after six minutes, they had no idea of the whirlwind that was about to blow their top nine aspirations to pieces.

Breaks from Nicholls and Sice had taken ToWn close to the Hornets line and Manihera stepped up to score.

On twelve minutes high-speed Casey Mayberry took a ball at acting half back close to the ToWn line and sped through two tacklers to score before they had chance to realise what was happening. Not to be outdone, Tommy Cooper took a sweet Ayres cut-out pass three minutes later - stepping past his opposite number to score.

Then, on 20 minutes, Paul Owen lit Casey Mayberry's blue touchpaper and stood well back.

Having caught a long kick on his own 20 metre line, Owen held up the ball while Mayberry engaged hyperdrive. Sucking in tacklers, Owen released a perfectly timed pass and Mayberry set off with just one thought in mind. His speed blasted him through the ToWn defence and he sprinted away. With the second rank of defenders closing, Casey showed amazing strength and acceleration to kick again, leaving a wake of sprawling red shirts to score a quite magical try. The standing ovation it duly deserved was still ringing round the ground as Warren Ayres took the conversion. Quite, quite awesome.

And two minutes later Mayberry spread panic in the ToWn ranks again. A deep last tackle kick to the Workington line, the gathering winger pressured into a panic step outside by Calland and Casey executing a superb man and ball tackle that sent the former one way and the latter another.

From the resulting scrum, quick hands down the line saw Paul Owen collect the try scoring pass. Two further tries in the last two minutes of the half - the first a neat jink through tacklers by the industrious Damian Ball; the second another good piece of support work by Owen - saw Hornets go in at the break 34-4 up.

Workington only had to wait two minutes into the second half for another stand under their crossbar. Swift passing down the line followed by a fortuitous dropped ball saw Smithy gather wide out on the left to stroll in. Less than a minute later Smith turned provider exchanging passes with Calland to create the space for Mayberry to steam straight through his opposite number, speed 40 metres to score and bring the crowd to its feet once more.

With Martin Hall making changes to save players for next week's tussle with the Biffs, Hornets took a little while to re-settle and ToWn took advantage to score through Mc Dermott. Normal service was resumed on the hour as Mayberry picked up a ToWn knock-on to sprint home and score, followed to the line on the next Hornets set of six by Dave Larder for another deserved powerhouse close-range effort. And then Hornets declared.

Two late consolation tries gave made the scoreline look like a drubbing as opposed to the complete demolition job it actually was and Hornets supporters applauded their side from the field with pride in a job well done.

In typically understated fashion, Hally said afterwards, "We started poorly and we finished poorly, but in between we played some attractive football." And no-one could disagree.

With a side ravaged by injuries and hugely out-sized by the Cumbrian pack, Hornets showed grit, determination and real heart to carry this one. Indeed, Ian Sinfield must be the smallest prop in the NFP - such is the depletion of the squad.

And with David Stephenson, James Bunyan and prodigal wunderkinder Danny Sculthorpe to slot into the side, I can't wait for nest week's encounter with Oldham.