ACE INSURANCE (EUROPE) BARLA NATIONAL CUP 5TH ROUND REVIEW

Three of the 5th Round ties of the BARLA National Cup Final were played this weekend which produced a feast of rugby league and shocks into the bargain with two regional sides going through to the semi finals.

North West Counties Premiers Wigan St Cuthberts entertained Yorkshire Cup holders Sharlston Rovers who hadn’t lost an amateur game all season. But that loss came at the hands of St Cuthberts as they went down 22-16.

Wigan St Cuthberts with tries from Adam Hunt, Sean Foster and three James Dallimore goals made it 14-6 recovering from a 6-0 deficit of a penalty and try after twelve minutes from Dale Ferris and Steve Frogget respectively. Rovers Chris Hill try cut the deficit down to four points on the stroke of half time.

St Cuthberts pressed on with Dallimore converting his own try as well as kicking a penalty. Rovers came back with Frogget’s second but the home side held on for a memorable win.

In the battle of previous Cup winners West Hull ran out 40-10 victors over Ellenborough Rangers after leading 20-10 at the break.

The home side opened the scoring through Tom Cook’s try before a converted try from Dean Scholey, with Stephen Stoddart adding the extras gave Rangers the lead. Tries from West Hull’s Chris Lee, Dean Thompson and a Brett Turner conversion made it 14-6 before Shane Ackerley crossed for Rangers. Richard Lamplough crossed for a converted try to give West Hull a ten point lead.

They then scored twenty unanswered points with a brace of tries from Turner, Chris Caville and two conversions from Turner.

Hosts Queens let their rugby league skills do the talking as they caused a shock in taking the scalp of National Conference League Premiers Leigh East 39-20.

Despite a heavy penalty count against them and a first half sin binning and an early lead Queens came back from an 8-4 deficit to lead 16-8 at the break.

Aaron Henry scored in the opening minute for the home side before a Danny Kilshaw converted try and penalty gave them the advantage. But quick fire converted tries by Steve Morton, Jonathon Winter and goals from Jonathon Milner gave his side an eight point advantage.

James Brown stormed over for a converted try at the beginning of the second half but East responded with a converted try from Adrian Dootson. Milner then went over himself and dropped a goal for a 29-14 lead. Further Queens tries from Robin Wilks and Winter’s second made it 39-14 before Carl Mort scored a converted try in the closing minute but it was all to little to late.

The outstanding tie takes place on Wednesday 25th March which will ensure a second National Conference League side in the semi finals when Saddleworth Rangers welcome Siddal.

5th Round Ace Insurance (Europe ) BARLA National Cup

Wigan St Cuthberts 22 Sharlston Rovers 16

West Hull 40 Ellenborough Rangers 10

Queens 39 Leigh East 20

Steve Manning
BARLA PRO & Media Manager