Rugby League: Serbian Select 6 – 60 Lancashire

Lancashire completed their two-game tour of the Lancashire County BARLA tour in Serbia in fine fashion with an eleven try success over a Serbian National Select at FK Heroj on Sunday (19 May).

Full back Ryan Hilliard (Pilkington Recs) underlined his status as one of the best number ones in the National Conference League with a sparkling hat-trick, although in truth the game was over as a contest inside the first twenty-one minutes.

First to zip over was Deane Meadows (Shevington Sharks) and it wasn't long before Zac Baker (Rochdale Mayfield) latched onto a kick following an unfortunate slip by Serbian fullback Ilija Krstic. Two goals from Adam Holland (Leigh East) had Lancashire 12-0 up inside the first ten minutes.

The Serbian select threatened to make a game of it when Vladimir Milutinović kicked ahead and won the race before the ball trickled out of play. Outstanding home scrum-half Džavid Jašari converted and it was 6-12.

Luke Belshaw (Wigan St Pats) had barely been on the field a few seconds when he dived on an improvised kick through from Aaron Smith (Wigan St Judes) where the big man appeared to flick it over his head with nonchalant back flick with his boot.

Smith was in full try creation mode and laid on the fourth Lancashire try after 21 minutes when he sent Tom O'Loughlin (Shevington Sharks) over in the corner.

Things looked like they would get much worse for the Serbians when Belshaw burst through the middle, but his offload was harshly judged forward.

The Serbians responded with some big drives from centre Lazar Živković and the scoring rate slowed with just two more scores being added before the break.

The first brought a deserved try for Smith who wrapped around the outside of Jordan Gibson (Haydock) and Matt Whitehead (Oldham St Annes) to go in at the corner to make it 28-6 in Lancashire's favour. Then just before half-time Hilliard popped up through the middle to go under the sticks and Holland's fourth goal opened a 32-6 half-time advantage.

The Serbian select made a solid start to the new half and kept Lancashire scoreless for sixteen minutes before Whitehead zipped in for an individual score on the right.

Four more tries came in a dominant final quarter with Zac Baker and Deane Meadows getting their second tries with Hilliard showing a real fleet of foot to get his treble for Adam Holland to finish with eight goals in the 60-6 victory.

Serbian Select

• 22 Ilija Krstić (Red Star)
• 2 Stevan Stevanović (Tašmajdan Tigrovi)
• 3 Vladimir Milutinović (Partizan 1953)
• 14 Lazar Živković (Radnički Niš)
• 5 Stefan Arsić (Radnički Niš)
• 6 Aleksandar Pavlović (Partizan 1953)
• 17 Džavid Jašari (Partizan 1953)
• 18 Dušan Milutinović (Partizan 1953)
• 9 Đorđe Stošić (Radnički Niš)
• 10 Vlado Kušić (Partizan 1953)
• 11 Denis Cengaj (Red Star)
• 12 Mistojto Jovic (Radnički Niš)
• 13 Nikola Đurić (Red Star)
• Subs (All Used)
• 24 Marko Janković (Red Star)
• 15 Vladislav Dedić (Red Star)
• 16 Velibor Karanović (Partizan 1953)
• 19 Mihajlo Stoiljković (Partizan 1953)
• Try: Vladimir Milutinović (10)
• Goal: Džavid Jašari 1/1

Lancashire

• 1 Ryan Hilliard (Pilkington Recs)
• 2 Owen Scholes (Thatto Heath)
• 3 Deane Meadows (Shevington Sharks)
• 12 Tom O'Loughlin (Shevington Sharks)
• 22 Gareth Paine (Leigh Miners Rangers)
• 7 Matt Whitehead (Oldham St Annes)
• 9 Adam Holland (Leigh East)
• 16 Ryan Braddock (Wigan St Pats)
• 18 Conor Dutton (Thatto Heath)
• 15 Aaron Smith (Wigan St Judes)
• 13 Zac Baker (Rochdale Mayfield)
• 19 Zac Nicholls (Leigh East)
• 6 Jordan Gibson (Haydock)
• Subs (All Used)
• 20 Josh Yates (Wigan St Pats)
• 17 Luke Belshaw (Wigan St Pats)
• 21 Paul Evans (Leigh Miners Rangers)
• 8 Jimmy Connaughton (Rochdale Mayfield)
• Tries: Meadows (2, 74), Baker (5, 62), Belshaw (17), O'Loughlin (21), Smith (33), Hilliard (39, 67, 79) Whitehead (56).
• Goals: Holland 8/11.
• Penalties: 8-5
• Half-time: 6-32
• Scoring Sequence: 0-6, 0-12, 6-12, 6-18, 6-22, 6-26, 6-32; HT; 6-36, 6-42, 6-48, 6-54, 6-60.