CORNWALL 0 NORTH WALES CRUSADERS 52
GARETH DAVIES, Memorial Ground, Sunday
OLLIE Brookes bagged four tries as North Wales defeated a spirited but outclassed and outmuscled Cornwall outfit.
In atrocious conditions, which saw the Duchy beset by torrential rain and gale-force winds, which did throw the game into doubt and saw kick-off delayed by 15 minutes, centre Kieran Taylor also claimed a hat-trick as the Crusaders crossed the line eleven times.
Indeed, the margin of victory could have been much greater but Jamie Dallimore and Lloyd Roby only managed four goals between them.
Cornwall’s cause was not helped by injuries picked up to key players throughout the game, which saw the Choughs left with no interchanges after 52 minutes, whilst Mike Abbott’s battered and bruised charges ended the game with just twelve men.
However, the fact Cornwall took to the field at all is nothing short of a miracle with new owner Ken Stone only taking control of the South West side on November 27. And a hastily put together side, which included five debutants, never raised the white flag throughout.
On a very heavy pitch, the early exchanges were even, with both sides guilty of handling errors before North Wales opened the scoring after nine minutes. A short kick through was seized upon by Jake Spedding, who did the rest with Dallimore unable to add the goal.
The score remained at just 4-0 in the visitors’ favour until eight minutes before the interval, with a passage of play that then proved to be pivotal for both teams.
Taylor bagged a quick-fire brace to open up a decent advantage for the Crusaders with Cornwall thinking they had registered at the other end too.
Harry Aaronson finished brilliantly from Adam Rusling’s grubber, but somewhat controversially, referee Adam Williams ruled that the former Oldham and Swinton winger was offside from the kick.
A 14-0 lead at the break for North Wales was added to as four tries were added in 15 minutes after the turnaround.
Taylor completed his hat-trick while Brookes (two) and Roby booked the Crusaders’ place in round three.
For Cornwall, their injury tally started to pile up after Roby scored his second of the afternoon on the hour mark.
And things went from bad to worse for the Choughs as the game entered its final stages as they had to run a man light with North Wales taking full advantage.
Three tries in the final nine minutes – two for Brookes and one for Roby – put the gloss on a workmanlike North Wales performance, as the Crusaders eased home.
Despite the heavy loss, Cornwall, who are still yet to win a Challenge Cup tie, would have been glad to just continue their professional journey, after the club’s existence was very much up in the air last autumn.
GAMESTAR: A four-timer from Ollie Brookes sees the former Widnes flyer just pip hat-trick hero Kieran Taylor.
GAMEBREAKER: The first of Ollie Brookes’ four tries saw North Wales seize control after an evenly contested first half.
MATCHFACTS
CORNWALL
6 Brad Llewellyn
16 Decarlo Trerise
4 Josh Frost
2 George Mitchell
5 Harry Aaronson
28 Nathan Conroy
27 Adam Rusling
10 Harry Boots
22 Jake Lloyd
18 Josh Rhodes
13 David Weetman
12 Darcy Simpson
15 Kaine Dimech
Subs (all used)
19 Greg Short
20 Chris Bannister
8 Mackenzie Cumming
24 Benjamin Cripps
CRUSADERS
1 Lloyd Roby
5 Patrick Ah Van
3 Kieran Taylor
20 Jake Spedding
21 Ollie Brookes
22 Jamie Dallimore
7 Jordy Gibson
8 Jack Houghton
14 Joe Baldwin
10 Chris Barratt
12 Cole Oakley
17 Matty Unsworth
13 Olly Davies
Subs (all used)
19 Josh Eaves
15 Shaun Costello
23 Paddy Jones
– Liam Cooper
Tries: Spedding (9), Taylor (32, 35, 55), Brookes (44, 52, 71, 74), Roby (48, 60), Oakley (77)
Goals: Dallimore 1/6, Roby 3/5
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-8, 0-14; 0-18, 0-22, 0-26, 0-32, 0-36, 0-42, 0-48, 0-52
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Cornwall: Greg Short; Crusaders: Kieran Taylor
Half-time: 0-14
Referee: Adam Williams