Previously beating Alnwick in the league probably made Carlisle the favourites for this final, but nothing should ever be taken for granted.
The Colts started into the wind and immediately took the game by the scruff of the neck, forcing Alnwick to defend deep inside their half.
A dart down the right after setting up a ruck a few metres out, grabbed Carlisle the first points after just 5 minutes, and just three minutes later the left winger went round the last Alnwick defender for the second try to put them 12-0 up.

Alnwick looked to strike back quickly and put Carlisle under a great deal of pressure deep inside their 22. Only some strong defence kept the opposition out, and winning ball back, Carlisle caught Alnwick short in defence as they scored their third try with barely 15min on the clock.

Carlisle had to continuously soak up Alnwick attacks and eventually the pressure showed with Alnwick getting over near the posts for a converted try to put the score at 17-7 half way through the first half.

The Colts were not finished with the half though, and breaking out of their half from a scrum, they scored their fourth try just on half time, giving themselves a comfortable scoreline of 22-7.

Although the Colts had the wind at their backs in the second half, it didn't seem to give them much advantage. It was Alnwick who started the second half positively, scoring their second try after just 3 minutes to narrow the deficit to 22-12, and a little too close for comfort.
The game was very even stevens between the two sides for the next 10mins, neither side managing to get a grip of the game.

It was the Colts who finally managed to leverage a score as they gradually pushed Alnwick back towards their tryline, with penalties giving the Colts chances to exploit field position. With a warning from the referee ringing in their ears, Alnwick were finally caught on the hop, as a quick tap penalty, allowed the left wing to dart down the touchline and round the defence for the Colts fifth try and a 29-12 lead, with 15 minutes to go.
A yellow card for a high tackle, reduced the Colts to 14 for the rest of the game, and a few minutes later Alnwick exploited the extra man to score their third try, but they were running out of time to make any kind of comeback.
Indeed it was the Colts who finished the game strongly, battering away at the Alnwick line, only to be held up at the last, when the referee blew for time.

A good end to the season for the Colts after an indifferent start, but a strong finish, with some notable scalps at the end, and silverware is always nice. This was a very good performance by the Colts and augers well for next season.