A few people liked that one, so thought i'd do this... afterall, however in/significant this may be on a mass scale... this is Wigan RLFC History and even if nobody reads this it's still a Great moment in our history.
Boston Debut Link:BOSTON THRILLS WIGAN CROWD
SCORING DASH AGAINST BARROW
The show put up by Wigan and Barrow on Saturday will do more to revive interest in Rugby League than hours of board room discussion or columns of Press chatter about what is wrong at Central Park. This match was a plain answer to the critics. On this display there is nothing wrong at Central Park and if Wigan continue to serve up this brand of football there will be no ---- ---- crocodiles of bored spectators leaving the enclosure before the final whistle is blown. It was the best seen at Central Park for seasons. The spectators were delighted with fast running, ---- handling and intelligent kicking and there was the double scissors movement that brought a Barrow try which was a sheer delight to see. Above all it was full blooded rugby , clean but robust and ---- rugby as it is intended to be played.
It was good to see Wigan win and there can be no doubt that Barrow were unlucky to lose. A draw would have been a fair reflection of the merits of both sides. The lead changed hands and it came into Wigan's keeping at a crucial stage of the game. Barrow can easily feel a bit peeved about the try which gave Wigan the lead for the last time for spectators on the spot --- the try scored by Ashcroft early in the second half following glorious work by Silcock and Gee followed a forward pass. Barton the second-row forward, was so upset by the referee's decision that he went on arguing and his captain had to be called in to quiet him down.
Earlier, Barrow had been denied a try when McGregor was called back for a knock-on after a keen break away by Grundy and Castle. McGregor had only to score when he kicked the ball to the undefended Wigan line but Referee Adams ruled a knock-on. The referee was unsighted and apparently in doubt and he exercised his right to let his doubt operate in favour of the defending side. But it was a hard decision on Barrow for it meant the loss of five certain points. Barrow's bad luck continued when late in the game their captain and halfback Willie Horne had to retire with a facial injury. Wigan got an improved try after Horne had left the field and a try was scored at the time of his injury and this was also improved.
From the foregoing it must not be interpretted that Wigan's victory was without merit. They came from behind to win for they were losing 7-10 at the interval and it was largely the excellent work of their forwards in scrums and those which set Wigan on the victory march. The match marked the first team debut of Boston, Wigan's recruit form the Welsh Rugby Union and he was most impressive. It seems that Boston cannot fail to make the grade for on this showing he is one of Wigan's best ever prospects. Probably because his defence is suspect at the moment, Boston was played on the left wing but he may be even better as a centre. He is a well equiped natural footballer, with a real swerve and side step and an ability to change his pace at will. He has great powers of acceleration and gets up the ground with a most devastating stride. The try he scored showed his fine finishing powers and at the same time set the hallmark on his courage. Wigan spectators will look forward to seeing him again.
Another who was doing extraordinarily well while all this was going on was Wigan's Norman Cherrington who looks as if he is going to pay big dividends as a second row forward. The neat way he kicked through, picked up the ball and then side-stepped his way through the Barrow defence to score was one of the best things in this grand match. The decision to continue Ashcroft in the stand-off role was again successful. Never spectacular, Ashcroft put in some good solid football and completely checked Barrow's Willie Horne. It was an excellent performance in a team which played out the full eighty minutes and could not be faulted.
One who caught the eye in this sound Barrow team was winger Castle whose play must have impressed the selectors present. Castle has developed and has a brilliant turn of speed. He was first class when he swerved past Ratcliffe and Cunliffe to give Barrow the lead after only six minutes play. Barrow have a grand mobile pack and on Saturday Grundy was outstanding. He was the bets forward on view.
Boston, Ashcroft, Cherrington, Broome and Silcock scored Wigan's tries and Cunliffe scored six goals. Castle (2) and Gibson scored the Barrow tries and Gibson kicked three goals. The crowd of 18,247 was with one exception the highest crowd at a Barrow game since the war. Receipts were £1,280. The exception was the Egan-Gee ebenfit game.
Result:
WIGAN ....... 6 - 5 - 27
BARROW....... 3 - 3 - 15
WIGAN: Cunliffe: Ratcliffe, Broome, Roughley, Boston: Ashcroft, alty: Gee, Mather, F. Collier, Silcock, Cherrington. Street.
BARROW: Gibson: Lewthwaite, Jackson: Goodwin, Castle: Horne, Toohey: Pearson, McKeating, Barton, Grundy, Parker. McGregor.
Referee: S. Adams (Hull)
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0ByP ... i&hl=en_GB
Flimby & Fothergill Link:
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0ByP ... k&hl=en_GB
