CORAL CHALLENGE CUP THIRD ROUND THORNHILL TROJANS 20 DONCASTER 24
It is difficult to write anything that does justice to the magnificent performance by Thornhill at The Tetleys Stadium last Saturday. Doncaster are a well resourced League One club playing out of the palatial Keepmoat stadium but it took them 53 minutes to take the lead against the Trojans & even then Thornhill retook the lead only for the Dons to score a heartbreaking last minute try to clinch a fourth round place.
The Dons winning try was scored by Papua New Guinea international Watson Boas – the very same Watson Boas who ran Great Britain ragged in the test match last autumn. Thornhill tries were scored by Declan Kaye , George Stott & Nick Mitchell with Casey Johnson adding four goals.
An absolutely fantastic Challenge Cup run by Thornhill that augers well for their upcoming season in The National Conference League Premier Division.
BARLA NATIONAL CUP FIRST ROUND
The prestigious blue ribbon tournament commences for two of our local clubs this coming Saturday 15th February. It is always fascinating to see games between clubs who rarely play each other because they play in different leagues. Such is the case this weekend when Hanging Heaton of the Pennine League host Wigan St Cuthberts of the North West Counties League.
Whilst Hanging Heaton will enjoy the familiarity of home soil it is a different scenario for Mirfield Stags who will travel to the windswept wilds at the far north west to take on Kells of the Cumberland League.
BARLA NATIONAL YOUTH CUPS
Storm Ciara sadly put paid to the first round ties scheduled for last weekend. Hopefully this weekend will see milder weather & the following games are scheduled for Sunday February 16th:
UNDER 18SDewsbury Celtic v Oulton Raiders
UNDERS 16SHull Dockers v Dewsbury Moor
UNDER 14SDewsbury Moor v Dalton
As the National cups at open age & youth levels kick into gear it makes you realise what costs our fantastic grassroots clubs incur. It really is mind boggling that clubs such as Dewsbury Celtic, Dewsbury Moor & Thornhill Trojans who also have the expense of playing in the National Conference League meet the high costs of kit, insurance, travel, clubhouse & pitch maintenance, paying match officials & all the other hidden costs that are met by clubs who are administered by volunteers.
Whilst clubs at the elite Super League level attempt to procure any money coming into our sport you have to appreciate just what our Grassroots clubs achieve.
