LANCASHIRE CUP SEMI-FINAL

Vale of Lune 7pts Sedgley Park U15s 7pts

(Sedgley win on away team rule)

FOR the third year in succession, Sedgley Park Under-15s have reached the Lancashire Cup Final and will, once again, meet Fylde, at Preston Grasshoppers on April 28th.

This will be the third time these two teams have met in the final. Honours are, currently, even, Sedgley winning in 2000 and Fylde last year.

The semi-final at Vale was always going to be a difficult game and one that was eagerly anticipated by both teams.

Despite the poor weather conditions it turned out to be a credit to both squads.

The game was a real war of attrition with both teams pinned to their own lines for long periods. In the first half Sedgley were heavily penalised and Vale rued the three missed penalties, which could have been decisive.

The first score was predictable and came by way of Lancashire centre and interception specialist Armstrong who went over from 40 yards. This was converted and Vale were 7-0 ahead.

Sedgley defended heroically with Page and Downs both prominent.

Poor discipline and some over-zealous refereeing let Sedgley down and saw no less than three players in the sin bin, Hancox and Kerwin for killing the ball and Forster unluckily for a high tackle. This meant that for threequarters of the game Sedgley were down to 14 players.

The second half saw Sedgley playing with the following wind, but, as with their opponents in the first period, did not make best use of it.

In one of the few flowing moves through the backs, Sedgley pulled a try back, courtesy of Buchanan after good work by Appleton, Harris and Carr.

What was to follow, in effect, won the game for Sedgley, Harris lined up the conversion from the touchline in a gale force crosswind and slotted it over, a fantastic effort.

The score was now level at 7-7, Sedgley were camped on the Vale line for a long period, but could not break through.

In the dying minutes, the action switched to the Sedgley end and culminated with four successive penalties to Vale the last one another missed effort at goal, the Sedgley spectators breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The final whistle blew to some confusion as to the outcome of the game, but Sedgley went through on the away team rule.

The man of the match could have gone to any one of the pack or several of the backs, the coach's choice, however, was Page for a relentless effort in defence and attack.