Recs hat-trick hero: 'The better side lost' (From St Helens Star)

Recs hat-trick hero: 'The better side lost'

12:17pm Monday 9th March 2009

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PILKINGTON RECS hat-trick hero Mark Ashton had mixed emotions after the St Helens amateurs were defeated 24-34 by semi-professional outfit Batley in the Challenge Cup third round.

The full back was named man of the match after crossing the whitewash three times at Saints’ GPW Recruitment stadium as the men from City Road threatened to pull off a famous victory.

Afterwards, 24-year-old Ashton said: “All the boys are really distraught that we got beat, even the Batley coach came in afterwards and admitted the better side lost.

Listen to Pilkington Recs full back Mark Ashton being interviewed by BBC Radio Merseyside's Ian Chisnall

“The game just drifted away from us in the closing stages. (But) We had been well drilled in training all week and played really well.”

All of Ashton’s tries came as a result of skipper Ste Rawsthorne’s attacking kicks and the Recs number one was quick to salute his team-mate.

He added: “I’ve been playing with Ste since we were juniors and we link up like that every week because we know each other’s games so well.

“We were guilty of letting in a few tries on the last tackle and just ended up waiting for them which cost us really.

“But I have to say I thought in the build up to the try they scored just before half time there were two forward passes.

“The long break (after a Batley player suffered a neck injury) in the second half when we had just scored was difficult because the lads were all really buzzing because we had closed the gap.

“I think that enabled them to have a rest and it cost us really.”

“But there’s always next year and at least I’ll be able to tell people I scored a Challenge Cup hat-trick.”

The Recs full back has registered five Challenge Cup tries this season.

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