6th December 2008

RECS secured an impressive victory against a tough Barrow outfit to maintain their unbeaten record and underline their credentials as NWC Premier Division title challengers.

In a cracking contest in Cumbria, John Ledger’s side took command in the opening half but they needed to dig deep on reserves of character to hold off a fightback from the home side.

With the challenges in the forwards fierce early on, Recs kept Barrow at bay largely thanks to the astute kicking game of young stand off Greg Smith.

And it was the youngster’s boot that created Recs first try, with James Lacey following up Smith’s up and under after the ball had been fumbled by the Barrow full back.

Ste Rawsthorne converted and Recs soon doubled their lead when Smith took the ball from a scrum ten metres out and side-stepped his way past the would be tacklers before gliding beneath the posts.

Barrow struck back to cut the gap to eight points but moments before half time John Rees and Neil Morris kept the ball alive with superb offloads before skipper Rawsthorne held off three defenders to touch down.

His conversion made it 18-4 at the break, but then came a second half saw onslaught from the Cumbrians and they exposed tired Recs defence to score two tries to narrow the gap. The visitors dug deep though and scrum half Danny Lynch’s defence splitting pass sent Rees racing over. Morris and hooker Peter Cahalin were holding Recs’ defence to gather, but Barrow came again, cutting the deficit to two.

But in the closing stages Lynch produced an inch-perfect grubber kick that impressive centre Danny Davies touched down to seal the vital victory.

The Commhoist man of the match was Smith and Rees was C&S Tyres players' player of the match.