CORNWALL 12 DEVON 54

Rugby league returned to Penzance's Mennaye Field for the first time in 49 years on Wednesday, when a Cornwall team took on Devon in a cross-Tamar clash.

On home soil, Devon had beaten the men in black and gold in last year's clash, and are recognised as being the more experienced side, and it showed. However, the Cornish team did not lack for effort and, after being 36-0 down at the break, performed well in the second half.

Devon scored seven tries in the first period, including a hat-trick for man of the match loose-forward Martin Browne, who plays rugby union for Brixham. The home side went close to scoring on a couple of occasions through hooker Sean Johnson and full-back Darren Pellow, but their efforts were denied.

Spirits were lifted right at the start of the second half when Cornwall at last got on to the scoreboard through skipper and scrum-half Adam Copeland, who set the example to score a try converted by Grant Thirlby.

Copeland's side played with increased vigour but Devon still managed to respond with two converted tries from scrum-half Billy Stockwell and second-row Steve Hillman.

A second try for Cornwall was scored by second row Ronan O'Neill, again converted by Thirlby, but Devon crossed the 50-points barrier with the last play of the game when replacement Gary Mitchell converted his own try scored at the old Western National corner.

At the end of the match, Graham Paul, who had helped organise that last game of rugby league played at the Mennaye, which was between Hull and Hull Kingston Rovers, for whom Graham was a prolific try-scorer, presented the Martin Roddy trophy to Devon's captain Matt Cuss.

A large crowd had turned up to witness a game played by rugby union players who also like to take the opportunity to play the "league" version of the game, and those present were left with the feeling that there is scope to develop this further by arranging one or two more such fixtures in summer months in the future.

Cornwall: S Bartle, R O'Neill, C Simcock, J Moore, S Johnson, L Belt, A Copeland (capt), D Mankee, B Jordan, L Manna, L Gaskell, A Vinnicombe, D Pellow. Replacements: J McInnes, G Thirlby, Z Harris, J Wilson, D Horne, J Lamsin, S Sara.

Scorers: Tries: Copeland, O'Neill; Cons: Thirlby (2).

Devon: M Browne, S Hillman, N East, D Sexton, M Cuss (capt), R Owles, B Stockwell, A Ford, N Woolley, K Browne, W Broomfield, F Turley. A Stevens. Replacements: G Mitchell, J Woodhead, D Shepherd, J Platt, D Shepherd, D Walter, M Coldrey.

Scorers: Tries: M Browne (3), K Browne, Stevens, Woolley, Ford, Stockwell, Hillman, Mitchell; Cons: Stevens (7).