BARLA Great Britain and the British Police produced a classic encounter in their Skanska Cup clash played on Leigh East’s ARLFC’s 3g pitch at Leigh Sporting Village with sixty points being racked up, but the teams couldn’t be separated after eighty minutes

The Police had the better of the opening minutes and Danny Atherton missed the penalty 35 metres out in front of the posts after three minutes.

BARLA got a huge present on nine minutes to take a 4-0 lead as centre John Patrick (Cockermouth) intercepted as the ball was going down the line to race 70 metres to the corner. Scrum half Steve Illingworth missed the conversion but made no mistake with three minutes later when a superb move was finished off by BARLA man of the match fullback Lee Gudor (Siddal) for a 10-0.

BARLA began losing possession regularly forcing the final pass and the Police continued taking the game to them with Atherton and scrum half Adam Newton working in tandem for their forwards and backs. They were rewarded on 23 minutes following a 40/20 with centre Andy Eastham drove over from the play the ball in the corner for the first of his brace and Atherton made it 10-6.

The Police stung BARLA with two converted tries in two minutes just before half time. On 34 minutes following back to back penalties the Police fired a grubber into the wide ingoal. As BARLA failed to clear loose forward Dan Rotherham touched down for the first of his double. On the next set the Police raced downfield with some superb running rugby and Eastham went in for his second and was allowed to go under the posts. Atherton kicked both goals to make it 18-10.

It could have been worse for BARLA on the stroke of half time, pressing forward Newton intercepted with a clear run in front of him. He sprinted away only to be foiled by a superb chase and classic rear tackle by Gudor to prevent a certain six pointer.

Whatever BARLA Head Coach John Fieldhouse said at half time it certainly worked as within the opening minutes of the half they were back in it. From their restart kick they forced the Police into touch and from the scrum on the fourth tackle second row forward Simon Stephens drove through the gap to make it 18-14.

BARLA cut loose running in three tries in seven minutes. Centre Kyle Amor (Hensingham) crossed the whitewash on 48 minutes followed four minutes later when stand off John McMullen (Wigan St Judes) found Patrick from a scrum to speed through a gap for his second and fifth try in two games for his side. On the next set on 55 minutes following a barnstorming 40 metre run from substitute Luke Varley (Castleford Panthers) the Police were penalised and on the second tackle Varley crashed through. Ryan Robb (Kells) converted two of the three tries and BARLA led 30-18.

The Police came back forcing BARLA to defend their line on five back to back sets. The BARLA defence held firm but were finally pierced by the Police six minutes from time following penalties and two drop outs. On their second fifth consecutive set influential hooker Kieron Maddocks forced his way through BARLA defenders from close range to score and it was game on.

Two minutes later the game was level following a penalty for ball stealing by Patrick. The Police went downfield and Rotherham had it all to do as he scored a superb effort in the corner. Newton added the extras with a superb touchline conversion with his second conversion in as many minutes.

In the final minute the Police blew a winning chance after regaining possession of the ball choosing to run the ball instead of going for a drop goal. As they got up to play the ball in front of the posts the referee blew for full time to the relief of BARLA.

BARLA Great Britain Head Coach John Fieldhouse

“I thought fullback Lee Gudor was our best man today and he was quite outstanding at fullback especially with that superb tackle on half time to save a certain try. It’s definitely a point lost tonight because I prepare to win every game and I have not won the two points that I was expecting but I will take nothing away from the Police they deserved their one point and it could have been two for them so you might say a one point gained but I say one point lost.

British Police Head Coach Jon Hamer

“In the state of the development of the side it was a welcome draw, obviously I would have been more delighted with a victory but to take BARLA close at this level in our preparation to come up with a draw was great for us, brilliant.

“What was pleasing for me in the first half was our completion rates 90% which is superb whereas BARLA were struggling to hold the ball in the first half and any team having so much ball can do something with it. Although BARLA were guilty of it in the first half we were guilty of it in the second half and it didn’t get better for us until the final twenty minutes.

BARLA GREAT BRITAIN: 1. Lee Gudor (Siddal), 2. Danny Smith (Shaw Cross Sharks), 3. John Patrick (Cockermouth), 4. Karl Amor (Hensingham), 5. Eugene Swift (Wigan St Judes), 6. John McMullen (Wigan St Judes), 7. Steve Illingworth (West Bowling), 8. Craig Wilson (Millom), 9. Paul Brown (Shaw Cross Sharks), 10. Trevor Penrose (Skirlaugh), 11. Richard Owen (C) (Wigan St Patricks), 12. Simon Stephens (Leigh East), 13. Anthony Broadhead (Thornhill Trojans), 14.Leon Brennan (Leigh East), 15. Ryan Robb (Kells), 16. Luke Varley (Castleford Panthers), 17. Tom Sibley (Millom), 18. Matty Myers (Shaw Cross Sharks), 19. Dean Balmer (Leigh Miners Rangers), 20 Jimmy Rogers (Saddleworth Rangers).

Tries: Patrick 2, Gudor, Stephens, Amor,Varley
Goals: Robb 2, Illingworth

BRITISH POLICE: 1. Richard Whitehouse, 2. Jamie Brentley, 3. Danny Adams, 4. Andy Eastham, 5. Phil Green, 6. Danny Atherton, 7. Adam Newton, 8. Stuart Meeks, 9. Adam Fogerty, 10. Mike Kearns, 11. Mark Elvridge, 12. Chris Sheffield, 13. Dan Rotherham, 14. John Barratt, 15. Kieron Maddocks, 16. Alan Clark, 17. Phil Irish, 18. Paul Carmody, 19. Mark McIntyre, 20. Steve Brown.

Tries: Eastham 2, Rotherham 2 Maddocks
Goals: Atherton 3, Newton 2