Thatto Heath connection behind the last try at Knowsley Road

Quite a few rumbled it was, in fact, the last ever competitive game played at Saints' home of 120 years.

The match was the St Helens Cup Final between Thatto Heath and Haresfinch - with the National Conference team running out winners.

The honour of the famous old ground's last ever try scorer fell to Thatto skipper and second row Mark Beech, who took his chance to cross the whitewash a minute from time.

The Crusaders skipper said that because they all knew it was going to be the last game, after a proposed Saints v Wigan friendly was cancelled, there had been a big build up.

Beech said: "We made a big deal of it. There were a few more spectators on for that type of game because they knew it would be the last one.

"And it felt big for us - and on the night the stadium announcer actually announced it."

The competition was handicapped that year, with it being National Conference teams up against North West Counties outfits, but Crusaders soon overhauled Haresfinch's 18 point start.

The game was already in the bag when Beech, who was 26 at the time, grabbed his chance to be a history maker.

"I did not have a bad try scoring record but that night I didn’t look like scoring," he said.

"But in the 79th minute scrum half Jimmy Hitchmough threw a long ball and it landed in my hands and it opened up.

"I remember seeing the line and thinking it is going to be me and I just dived over in the corner between the Edington end and main stand."

Playing at Knowsley Road was not a new thing for Beech, who had played in the same age group as James Graham – and played under Mike Rush, Keiron Purtill and Anthony Sullivan at the Saints Academy before leaving in 2004/05.

As an added brainteaser, anyone get a connection between the last try at Knowsley Road and the first one at Langtree Park?