Rugby League

Challenge Cup 1st Round

Sunday 19th January 2025

Kick Off 13.30 Actual 13.32

Great Britain Police 4 York Acorn 52, attendance 146

@ Portico Vine A.R.L.F.C

Scholes Lane

Eccleston

St. Helens

WA10 3PD

No Admission or Programme.

Having done games in the North East on the last two days, I decided on an overnight stop on the way home (70 mile diversion along the M62) to take in this rearranged Challenge Cup match, that had been postponed last Sunday due to a frozen pitch. GBP had been confident on their social media that the game would go ahead at the second time of asking and so it turned out. It was only a few degrees above freezing, but the pitch was fully in the sun and no problem at all. The ground here at Portico Vine is just an open pitch, taped off on three sides, with a decent clubhouse, serving hot and cold drinks, next to the car park as you enter off Scholes Lane. As with last week at Eastern Rhinos, no admission charge was made, nor any sign of a match day programme having been produced.

As expected, it was a comfortable win for York Acorn, who play in the National Conference League Premier Division. It only took them three minutes to get their first try and by halftime they led 0-18, which would have been a bigger margin had they managed to do better than converting just one from four with their kicking. Another try for Acorn early in the second half killed off any hope of a comeback and it was 0-34 by the time GBP scored their only try of the game after fifty six minutes, which they were unable to convert. Normal service was resumed though and Acorn added another four tries to round off a resounding 4-52 win, where both sides had finished with 12 men, following a double sin bin after an outbreak of fighting with ten minutes left.