Joe Elliott’s Match of the Week Under-16 BARLA Cumbria CupSemi-Final EGREMONT RANGERS 4 BARROW ISLAND 40

Last updated 12:35, Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Egremont Rangers’ unbeaten run came to an abrupt end when they crashed out of the BARLA Cumbria Cup.

Here I come: Full back Luke McCourt scored a consolation try for Egremont

Barrow Island are probably the best under-16 side in Cumbria and they put on one the best shows by an amateur rugby league side at youth level. They played Egremont off the park.

The power of their forwards and the skill of their backs was great to watch. Their workrate was a pleasure to witness.

The home side played up the slope in the first period and they must have thought they were still in the chase turning around at only 16-4 down.

But Barrow had other thoughts and they moved up a couple of gears to virtually walk away with the match in the second period.

Barrow took the lead after eight minutes when second rower Will Case made a great break down the left before turning the ball inside to his supporting stand-off Ryan Shaw to go in under the posts. Loose forward Adam Jackson tagged on the conversion, 6-0 to the visitors.

Full back Luke McCourt put Egremont back in the game on 12 minutes when he cleverly collected the ball from the scrum to switch direction to the blind side and touch down in the corner, 4-6 to Barrow.

The Island went further ahead on 16 minutes when second rower Peter Rimmer blasted through the Egremont defence before arcing around towards the posts to cross the whitewash from 20 metres out, Jackson again adding the conversion, 4-12.

Just before the break Barrow increased their lead to 12 points when, after a great cross the field passing movement, centre Jason Richards touched down in the corner and Island were ahead 16-4 at half-time.

The second period belonged to Barrow Island and the forward running of their pack, particularly prop Brad Singleton, was first class. The No10 time and time again made great inroads into the home side’s territory, well backed by hooker Sam Dowsett and second rowers Will Case and Peter Rimmer.

When Barrow were threatened Jackson would pump the ball down into the bottom corner making it difficult for the home side to run it back out. The one shining light for Egremont was loose forward Jared Stewart, who tried his hardest to get Egremont back in the game. He was well supported by hooker Marcus O’Brien, but their efforts were quickly snuffed out by the Barrow defence.

Barrow extended their lead in the second minute when Dowsett sent out a great pass for Rimmer to crash onto and cross midway between the posts and the corner flag, Jackson added his third kick of the afternoon to make the score 22-4 to the visitors.

Island added a further three converted tries before the final whistle. Prop Singleton crowned a good display with a touch down, stand off Shaw added his second, sprinting 50 metres up the touchline before rounding behind the posts and the final try of the afternoon went to winger Ben Garner after the Island were involved in yet another great cross the field ball handling movement.

Man-of-the-Match: This was a difficult choice because all the Barrow Island players were on top form. If I had to stick my neck out and pick one it would be the Island hooker Sam Dowsett. His vision and execution from acting half back was excellent and his work-rate in offence and defence was exceptional. Barrow Island will now play hosts to Wath Brow Hornets in the final, scheduled to take place on December 7.

MATCH FACTS

Egremont Rangers: Luke McCourt, Ryan Barnes, Greg Stainton, Callum Aitkin, Adam Roberts, Jack Stainton, Lewis Beckwith, Scott Atkinson, Marcus O’Brien, Thomas Whalley, Jake Pennington-Slater, Michael Ellwood, Jared Stewart. Substitutes: Rhys Wildig, Joshua Kelly, Michael Van Mourik and Michael Shaw.

Barrow Island: Nial Miller, Ben Garner, Tom Brannon, Jason Richards, Perry Singleton, Ryan Shaw, Bradley Marwood, Lloyd Williams, Sam Dowsett, Brad Singleton, Will Case, Peter Rimmer, Adam Jackson. Substitutes: Ryan Kay and Blake Parsons.