Birkenhead Park win Less Cheshire Cup

Mar 26 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

BIRKENHEAD produced a remarkable 20-22 turn around against higher-rated Macclesfield at Chester to lift the Lees Cheshire Cup for the first time since 1881.

Park clawed their way back from a 5-20 deficit in the last half hour before levelling the scores in the seventh minute of added time.

Tony Handley coolly added the conversion, the referee immediately signalled no-side and the Park celebrations began.

Park, just eight days after a bruising Intermediate Cup semi-final win at Bracknell, could so easily have thrown in the towel.

But they produced extra reserves of energy in a pulsating finale to warm the spectators on a raw and sometimes snowy afternoon.

Handley proved an excellent general at stand-off but there was also a busy performance at scrum-half by Steve Lowry, while the pack stood up well against a bigger Macclesfield eight with David Blythe and Chris Jones well to the fore.

Park spokesman Peter Greville said: “It was a remarkable come back and the players and officials are overjoyed.”

Meanwhile, Hoylake put in a brave performance at Sandbach before missing out on a place in the final of the Lees Cheshire Vase after going down 15-10.

Sandbach, a league above Hoylake, had to pull out all the stops to prevail.

Hoylake led 10-5 at the half-way stage with Steve Young landing a penalty and adding the extras to a penalty try.

The home side kept in touch with an unconverted try and twice breached the Hoylake defence later to sneak the verdict.

Young was excellent at stand-off for the Wirral side and Rob Kurton made his presence felt in a hard working pack.