Lancashire lifted both the Open Age and Under 19s BARLA County Tri-Series titles at the weekend, with victories over Yorkshire at both age levels at Ince Rose Bridge, Wigan.
OPEN AGE
LANCASHIRE 32
YORKSHIRE 6
DAVE PARKINSON
Ince Rose Bridge, Sunday
LANCASHIRE are the 2016-17 BARLA County Champions, on points’ difference from both Yorkshire and Cumbria, after easing to a comfortable victory in the winner-takes-all clash.
The margin of the success, moreover, leaves the Tykes at the bottom of the pile after having gone into the game in contention for the title.
Lancashire’s win would have been more emphatic, but only the last two of their seven tries were converted.
Jack Jones sparked the assault with an interception try on five minutes, and touchdowns on 23 and 25 minutes respectively for Scott Davidson and Jimmy Muir gave the Red Rose side a 12-point lead.
Yorkshire, though, went in at the break only 12-6 adrift after Gareth Gale powered over on the half-hour and Danny Rowse added the extras.
But it was one-way traffic in the second period. Darrion Ball crossed on 42 minutes but, taking over the kicking duties from Sean Leicester, was unable to add the extras, and was also unable to improve James Shaw’s subsequent touchdown.
Aidie Gleeson put that deficiency to rights on 66 minutes, improving Jones’ second try, and a superb win was sealed when Ball steamed over with nine minutes left, Jones adding the goal.
Muir and Yorkshire’s Jamie Fields were sent off at the death for fighting.
LANCASHIRE: Deon Cross (Blackbrook), Darrion Ball (Wigan St Jude’s), Sean Leicester (Thatto Heath Crusaders), Sam Grainey (Leigh East), Josh Swift (Leigh East), Jack
Jones (Thatto Heath Crusaders), Jimmy Muir (Leigh Miners Rangers), Dean Balmer (Leigh East), Callum Ogden (Rochdale Mayfield), Adam Jeffrey (Saddleworth Rangers), Adam
Prendergast (Thatto Heath Crusaders), Scott Davidson (Blackbrook), Seta Taala (Rochdale Mayfield). Subs: Nathan Bevan (Wigan St Jude’s), James Shaw (Rochdale Mayfield), Ady Gleeson (Rochdale Mayfield), Gavin Rodden (Wigan St Jude’s).
YORKSHIRE: Josh Stewart (Skirlaugh), Omar Alwari (Hunslet Club Parkside), Ian Jackson (Featherstone Lions), Stu Smith (Skirlaugh), Rhys Kilbride, Ady Mulcahy (Eastmoor Dragons), Danny Rowse (Lock Lane), Dave Valentine (Underbank Rangers), Dean Gamble (Featherstone Lions), Dan Hawksworth (Underbank Rangers), James Jennison (Myton Warriors), Gareth Gale (Featherstone LIons), Jamie Fields (Hunslet Club Parkside). Subs: Jack Kirkmond (Sharlston Rovers), Johnny Parrish (Birstall Victoria), Matty Harling (Hull Dockers), Sam Heppell (Hull Dockers)
UNDER 19S
LANCASHIRE 40
YORKSHIRE 14
DAVE PARKINSON
Ince Rose Bridge, Sunday
IT was double joy for Lancashire, the youth side setting the agenda with a convincing win after having headed into the game needing to prevail by nine points to leapfrog the Tykes to the top of the table.
There was rarely any doubt that the silverware would head to the Red Rose side, once Jack McHugh and Dante Morley-Samuels crossed on 12 and 16 minutes, with Zac Baker adding each goal.
Yorkshire’s cause wasn’t helped by the sin-binning of Jacob Crosswell a minute later for a late challenge, Lancashire making the most of his absence by posting a try by Todd Fenlon.
Lancashire were, as the break approached, unfazed by a yellow card for McHugh, for dissent,l easing to a 22-0 lead with a Ryan Gray try which Baker improved. The procession continued on the resumption, with Joe Digby and Will Ashworth – over 90 metres – speeding in.
Logan Pitts opened Yorkshire’s account on the hour, McHugh replying for Lancashire and Baker kicking his sixth goal.
Pitts and Joe Halloran scored consolation tries in the last seven minutes for Yorkshire, Tom Forrest adding a conversion, before the visitors’ Steve Clarke was sin-binned for fighting.
LANCASHIRE: Will Ashworth (Leigh Miners Rangers), Todd Fenlon (Leigh Miners Rangers), Ryan Gray (Leigh East), Josh Oakes (Portico), Harry Warburton (Folly Lane), Zac Baker (Rochdale Mayfield), Jack McHugh (Orrell St James), Shaun Costello (Clock Face Miners), Jordan Hellam (Leigh Miners Rangers), Tom Brown (Crosfields), Joe Digby (Leigh Miners Rangers), Dante Morley-Samuels (Wigan St Judes), Sam Lewis (Orrell St James). Subs: Lee Registe (Rochdale Mayfield), Jack Sharratt (Wigan St Patricks), Pete Valentine (Ince Rose Bridge), Josh Thornton (Ince Rose Bridge).
YORKSHIRE: Paul Foulstone (Dewsbury Celtic), Jacob Fozzard (Birstall Victoria), George Woodcock (Thornhill Trojans), Elliott Culling (Wibsey Warriors), Connor Iddon (York Acorn), Tom Forrest (Stanningley), Logan Pitts (Queens), John Bownass (Dewsbury Moor), Bradley Gotts (Skirlaugh), Matthew Stephenson (Stanningley), Jacob
Crosswell (Dewsbury Moor), Brandon Dyson (Birstall Victoria), George Senior (Dewsbury Celtic). Subs: Steven Clarke (Skirlaugh), Reece Borbely (Dewsbury Celtic), Joseph Halloran (Shaw Cross Sharks), Luke Shaw (Hull Wyke).
