Lancaster made the best possible start to the inaugural Cross Bay Challenge with a try from in-from winger Andy Garnet posted in the first set. Collecting the ball from the kick off, Liam Hall drove the ball up strongly and followed this with a quick play-the-ball.

With the Hindpool on the backfoot, Walker neatly combined with Hartlebury to put Garnet away down the left flank who was able to escape the clutches of the Hindpool defence with a devastating step to touchdown in the corner.

Garnet was unable to add the extras from the awkward angle.

With the Barrow league Champions a try down in the first few moments of the match, doubts were raised as to whether the teams were evenly matched. They weren’t raised for very long. Hindpool slowly worked their way back into the game and after 10 minutes of sustained Hindpool pressure the Lancaster defence finally yielded a try to Adam Comish. The Des Kyte conversion put Hindpool in the lead for the first time, and proved to be a lead that they would never relinquish.

Strong defence from Lancaster saw out the following set in safety before applying some pressure of their own with McVernon, Weed and Livingstone leading the way in the forwards. A half break from Hartlebury brought Lancaster within feet of the Hindpool try line but the attack bore ultimately bore no fruit for all the hard work.

Hindpool were allowed an easy escape out of their half with easy yards from their wingers who found gaps around the ruck in the Lancaster line. The second Hindpool try came after retreating Lancaster defence failed to see the inside ball from the skilful halfback Kyte, who released powerful centre Dally Messenger. Lancaster’s fullback Gavin Winder managed to force Messenger out to the corner, but was unable to stop the try being scored.

The failed conversion attempt from Kyte left the score at 4-10 in Hindpool’s favour.

The next foray into Hindpool territory saw scrum half Keith Hartlebury exquisitely feign a long pass to ‘reveal’ McVernon with the pop up ball to send him over unopposed from 15 yards out. The relatively easy conversion to level the scores was missed and the score remained at 8-10.

The Lancaster comeback was short-lived with the next points going to Hindpool through Jonny Cunningham who, with the Kyte conversion stretched their advantage to 8-16.

The following 15 minutes proved to be the critical period of the game with the packs of both teams battling it out for supremacy.

With a number of penalties given away from both sides, it was clear that this match was far from being a ‘friendly’ in the eyes of the players – with local pride at stake it was anything but.

Both teams had a number of chances to keep the scoreboard operators busy, the best coming from Garnet who latched onto the end of a set play to break 70 yards downfield. Forced into touch just before the corner flag, possession was turned over and Hindpool had got out of jail.

Weed and Helme featured with strong defence for Lancaster whilst the Winder, McVernon and Hall continued to penetrate in attack.

Lancaster then made the deadly error of conceding back-to-back tries to Neil Haughin and Des Kyte, without even touching the ball.

This crucial five minute spell just before half time left the score at 8-26 in the visitors’ favour with the odds stacked massively against a Lancaster victory.

Telford and Shaw came on after half time to refresh the forwards and for a while Lancaster’s fortunes looked a little brighter. A Hindpool knock-on near their own line gave Lancaster an excellent opportunity to narrow the gap and claw their way back into the game, but the opportunity was missed.
After 15 minutes of high quality rugby from both sides, the former Lancaster centre Phill Cassson broke the second half deadlock with a try under the sticks for Hindpool.

At 8-30 a difficult task became even harder with Lancaster’s dominant prop Liam Hall sin binned for dissent, and with the realisation the game was over as a contest a number of the Lancaster players’ frustrations began to affect their game.

A lot of niggling play was allowed by a weak referee, who then decided to clamp down as the game wore on. Lancaster failed to see the signals and conceded penalty after penalty after tempers began to fray.

A try to the Hindpool winger Neil Haughin sparked a bout of fisticuffs after he objected to Liam Hall’s late challenge.

Hall was dispatched from the field with a red card, and after the re-start Birkett went over for a consolation try for Lancaster.

The final score was 12-40.

Hindpool captain Darren Clark was presented with the trophy from Peter Hornby, Chairman of Barrow Raiders Rugby League Club.

Under 14s Curtain raiser
Hindpool U14s beat Heysham High School U14s in curtain raiser. Despite being up against a vastly more experienced Hindpool side, made up of lads that had been playing since U8s, the schoolboys gave a good account of themselves and produced an attractive game for the families that had gathered to watch. The presentation for the Junior Cross-Bay Championship was made by new St Helens
academy signing, Mark Walker.