Recs produced one of their most disappointing performances for years to leave Kurt Haggerty with the wrong kind of selection head-ache ahead of the Challenge Cup tie with North Wales Crusaders on Sunday.

Recs started brightly enough and when Andrew Knapper's knock on with the line begging was soon followed by a converted Ian Stanley try, Recs looked to have continued where they left off the previous week. When Mark Ashton doubled Recs lead shortly after the vistors looked good to continue their run of victories.

However, the Recs coaching staff were concerned with the lack of intensity in Recs defence which was breached when the Askam hooker dummied left, then right and dove over the line unchallenged, and it was the hooker again who caused more damage when he took advantage of Recs frailty at marker to dart 40 yards and wrong footing the full-back on his way to grabbing his second try to give a half-time score of 12-12.

The Recs coaches attempts to lift the players fell on deaf ears and following a long range try and penalty the Cumbrians had built a deserved 8 point lead.

With Recs missing the calming influence of Greg Smith, Danny Lynch was trying everything he could to pull the team back in to a game that was slipping away. However, the restrictions of only having one available half-back was apparent and when the home side scored further tries, aided yet again by Recs sloppy defence, a 32-12 scoreline with less than 20 minutes remainin looked to have put the game out of reach for Recs.

But with one last throw of the dice, Haggerty introduce youngster Josh Lynch in to the hooker role and after a length of the field attack saw Knapper bundled in to touch, Recs forced an error on the next set and Knapper finally got himself on the score sheet scoring from what seemed to be an impossible position in the left corner. Danny Lynch missed the conversion but when minutes later a brilliant attacking move that started deep in Recs territory and found its way through 6 different pairs of hands ended with Josh Lynch scoring beneath the posts, the gap was closed to only 10 point and a comeback looked to be on the cards.

However, the defensive problems that had blighted Recs through out the game were not corrected and when the Askam center evaded a pack of players before racing 80 yards to score under the posts quickly followed by another converted penalty the game was lost and the Recs coaches left with a monumental task ahead of the game next week.

Danny Lynch was the Jamm Studios Man of the Match, with Ryan Hilliard taking the Amdec award.