24/05/2026
Match Report 24/5/26
**Kells U14s 44 – 12 Millom U14s (League Cup)**
Millom U14s produced a courageous and determined display away at Kells in their League Cup fixture, eventually going down 44-12 against a strong home side.
The match was played 12-a-side, with both teams taking the field with 12 players. However, while Kells were able to rotate substitutes throughout the game, Millom's 12 players were required to play every minute in challenging conditions.
Millom started brightly and for the opening 15 minutes looked the more threatening side. The visitors enjoyed the better share of possession and territory, with Richard and Hansen leading the charge and asking plenty of questions of the Kells defence. Despite spending long periods in good field position, Millom were unable to turn their early dominance into points.
As the first half progressed, the heat and lack of replacements began to have an impact. Kells capitalised on a number of Millom errors and gradually took control of the scoreboard, crossing for four tries to establish a 20-0 lead at half-time.
Despite the deficit, the Millom players remained upbeat in the changing room, knowing they were still competing well and that improved ball control could get them back into the contest.
The second half began with Millom standing up strongly to Kells' bigger pack. Lewis, Ethan, Hansen and Richard all produced some outstanding defensive efforts, refusing to take a backward step. Isaac and Logan became increasingly influential in attack, looking to move the ball wider and exploit space on the edges, but a couple of handling errors allowed Kells to add further tries and put Millom under pressure.
To their credit, the visitors never let their heads drop and showed tremendous character throughout. Carson sparked Millom's first score after collecting a loose ball on his own 30-metre line and producing a superb run to halfway. The momentum shifted immediately, with Hansen grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck, busting through tackles before rounding the full-back to score a well-deserved try. William added the conversion to put Millom on the board.
With confidence growing, Millom enjoyed some of their best rugby of the game. Strong carries from Hansen, Richard and Carson repeatedly got the team on the front foot, but further errors from the tiring side allowed Kells to maintain control and stretch their advantage.
Even with the result slipping away, Millom continued to battle until the final whistle. Good attacking play involving Lewis and Ethan created field position deep inside Kells territory, and Hansen once again demonstrated his strength and determination to power over for his second try of the afternoon despite desperate defensive efforts. William was again successful with the conversion.
Kells added a late score to complete a 44-12 victory, but the scoreline only told part of the story. Millom's 12 players showed outstanding commitment, resilience and team spirit throughout the match, never giving in despite playing the full game without a substitute.
**Kells Coaches' Man of the Match:** Hansen – a constant threat with ball in hand, helping put Millom on the front foot all afternoon and deservedly scoring two tries.
**Millom Coaches' Man of the Match:** Richard – a thorn in Kells' side throughout, combining strong attacking play with some excellent defensive efforts.
**Special Mention:** Carson, who produced arguably his best performance of the season so far and played a crucial role in Millom's first try with a brilliant break from deep.
While the result didn't go Millom's way, the effort, attitude and togetherness shown by all 12 players was something everyone associated with the club can be proud of.
