WINDERMERE have claimed the play-off place for promotion out of the Cumbria League but their 19-13 defeat by Upper Eden on Saturday cost them home advantage by a percentage point.

Vickers Sports, who trounced Ambleside 61-0 on Saturday, are confirmed as champions.

Third-placed Upper Eden have a massively inferior points difference to Windermere, who will finish runners-up with both sides theoretically having one match left to play.

If all three clubs are agreeable, however, the RFU have arranged for Windermere to forego playing their final league fixture on Saturday, May 11 at Furness, and instead travel to Bury for the play-off into Cumbria/North Lancs next season.

Upper Eden..............

19

Windermere.............

13

WINDERMERE were out-played and outmuscled in this rumbustious match at Kirkby Stephen.

A shade unlucky to lose at Dawes Meadow last month, Upper Eden were anxious to avoid a repetition and on Saturday never really looked like being beaten.

The surprising thing was that Windermere were only six points behind at the end for in reality they were always on the back foot.

From the first whistle, Upper Eden took the game to the visitors, dominating the exchanges and in a storming start took the lead with a try after just two minutes.

The strong wind blowing from corner to corner was a big factor though neither team really made the most of it.

What really decided the issue was the way the Eden forwards dictated the pattern of play.

Throughout the afternoon they prevented Windermere from gaining any worthwhile possession and pressurised the visitors into making mistakes.

Without any room to move, the Windermere half-backs were given a torrid time and the threequarters were never able to get into the game.

The forwards worked hard but made little headway against the hard tackling, strong rucking and mauling of the home pack.

When Windermere did try to run the ball, more often than not they lost possession in the tackle and spent most of the game in and around their own 22.

Phil Sinclair put Eden ahead when he burst through a hesitant Windermere defence for the opening try.

Twenty minutes later Chris Sansom reduced the leeway with a penalty goal and as the home forwards continued

to concede penalties in

their determination to

deny Windermere possession, Sansom kicked another to give his side an unlikely lead.

This was very much against the run of play and before the break the home forwards drove over to produce a try for Tony Morland.

Rick Heron kicked a penalty for Eden early in the second half before Windermere, urged on by a determined run from Ian Balmer and strong play by Simon Thomas and Richard Rigg, enjoyed their best spell in attack.

This brought an attacking scrum in front of the Eden posts and Richard Rigg picked up and plunged over for a try which Sansom converted to level the scores at 13-13.

It was Windermere's last flourish, however, as Eden returned to the attack and Heron dropped a huge goal downwind.

For the rest of the game, Windermere had to battle hard to keep their line intact.

This they managed to do but Heron kicked his second penalty to give Upper Eden a well-deserved win.