With Recs big Challenge Cup fixture only a week away, it is fitting that we take a look back to the last time Recs faced professional opposition in the famous competition.

On the 8th March 2009, Recs hosted Batley Bulldogs of the Rugby League Championship at Knowsley Road. It was Recs first entry into the competition in over 25 years and the team did not disappoint.

Below we take a look back to the build up that week, the game itself and the aftermath.

5th March 2009

The St.Helens Star reported:

PILKINGTON Recs will be flying the flag for St Helens when they take on pro side Batley Bulldogs in the Challenge Cup at Knowsley Road on Sunday afternoon.

The City Road amateurs, who have a proud cup tradition, are looking for the town’s rugby lovers to get behind them for the encounter against the Championship outfit.

Coach John Ledger is under no illusions about the scale of the task facing his players - but there will be no lack of effort given the prestigious surroundings.

Ledger, who is the brother of former Saints winger Barrie and son of ex-Saint Eric, said: “We’ve had a look at Batley and there may be a physical difference where we won’t match them, so it will be about containment especially in the first half.

“If we get chances we’ll need to be clinical and on that big pitch we’ll try to run them around.

“There will be lads who are nervous, but not about the game - it will be more about the crowd because they won’t have played in front of so many people before.

“But we have nothing to fear and nothing to lose because it is Batley who could end up with egg all over their faces if things don’t go their way.

“With the match being played at Saints we’re expecting a big support, we have messages of support and emails from many of the local amateur clubs willing us on. I’m sure there’ll be plenty there cheering us on.”

The game evokes great memories about the club, who very nearly pulled off one of the greatest Challenge Cup shocks of all time when they were edged by a point by Castleford in 1978.

Ledger added: “I’m sure the hairs on the back of the lads’ necks will be standing up as they walk out.

“When I took over as coach five years ago it was a personal goal of mine to get Pilks into the Challenge Cup, but with the rules altering for qualification it eluded us somewhat.

“But after a successful season last year we got an invite and the lads were delighted because they are keen to test themselves against stronger opposition.

“We have already disposed of two teams that are in so called leagues above us so we are capable of pulling off upsets.

“Obviously this match means a lot to me. My father played at Knowsley Road and my brother played here and so on a personal note I’ve not been fortunate to be here as a player so to come here as a coach and to walk out at Knowsley Road for a Challenge Cup tie will be great.”

It is also a great day for the Rawsthorne family - with Recs skipper Ste Rawsthorne, 24, being joined in recent weeks by his elder brother Andy, 25, who signed from arch rivals Blackbrook.

Ste said: “We hadn’t played in the same team since we were under eights at Blackbrook and its great that he’s joined us.

“We’ve been getting plenty of support from around town – there are posters up with my picture on in a lot of the pubs – so I’ve had people coming up to me who I don’t know wishing us good luck.

“We’re aiming to enjoy it and give it our best shot.”

8th March 2009

Pilkington Recs 24 Batley Bulldogs 34

RECS did themselves and amateur rugby league proud with a determined and skilful display that had professionals rocking and relieved to hear the final whistle.

The City Road men have a magnificent Challenge Cup tradition to defend – but the 709 spectators who braved the bitterly cold wind were given a nudge that the spirit in the red, amber and black jersey is not confined to history books about the 1970s.

It was nip and tuck throughout and had a few marginal forward passes been spotted, specifically the one that put the Bulldogs up at the break, Pilks could have been joining Saints in the bag for last Monday’s draw.

It was not just about pluck, enthusiasm and tenacity, which Recs had in spades, but skill, nous and vision which helped craft four well taken touchdowns.

Three of those tries fell to pacy full back Mark Ashton – all created courtesy of the boot of scheming Ste Rawsthorne.

The Recs skipper was shunted to the half back role when his brother Andy suffered the big match heartache of pulling a hamstring on the pitch in the warm up.

Rawsthorne and the rangy Ryan Rogers combined well at halfback, asking questions of the Bulldogs defence with some smart passing, running and kicking.

Batley were first on the scoresheet when hooker Kris Lythe zipped under the posts from a training ground move, converted by Mark Barlow, but Recs stuck at it.

Any fears that they were going to suffer the 88-0 fate that higher ranked amateurs Saddleworth had been dealt at Widnes the previous day were soon dispelled.

Although prop Neil Morris was just held up after a burst to the line, moments later strong running centre Nigel Pratt sliced through for a try goaled by Rawsthorne.

Batley’s size, speed and a succession of penalties allowed them to get on a roll and they rocked Recs with three tries in quick succession – all disappointingly scored at the end of the sets.

Kevin Crouthers, Danny Maun and Chris Buttery all crossed, but thankfully the strong wind ensured that they remained only four-pointers.

There was no white flag being waved by the City Roaders, who showed a fair bit of flair when Rawsthorne’s delicate chip outsmarted the Bulldogs defence for Ashton to race over on 28 minutes.

Cool-headed Rawsthorne made a mockery of the swirling wind to curl in a great conversion, cutting the deficit to 12-18.

Then the Rawsthorne and Ashton double-act worked again two minutes before the break with the full back touching down again to provoke an exuberant celebration from the rest of the team. Rawsthorne’s goal equalised matters and that would have been a good time to blow the hooter.

Unfortunately well-travelled centre Dale Cardoza rounded off a width of the pitch handling movement, featuring a brace of unnoticed forward passes, on the stroke half time, to cross out on the right.

Although Batley’s Ian Preece went over for a try scruffily converted by George Flanagan five minutes after the restart, Recs seemed unfazed.

And with Bulldogs a man down, with Maun flat-out with a neck injury, Rawsthorne exposed their defensive frailties with another clever kick wide, which after a number of stabs was eventually gathered and grounded by Ashton.

What followed was a 10 minute delay whilst Maun was carried off with a neck injury, before Rawsthorne added the conversion to make it 24-28.

The spell allowed the rattled Yorkshiremen to regroup – and although Recs threw plenty at the visitors in the last quarter, they could find no further chink in the armour.

They also had to do plenty of tackling on their own line, and the line was only finally breached in the closing stages when Lythe twisted over from dummy half.

Although backs Ashton, Rawsthorne and Rogers all put in a stake for the man of the match, the pack featuring strong performances from Andy Burns and John Rees also punched well above its weight.

Although they will be disappointed not to have made it through, they gave a performance they can be proud of, one which can hopefully spur them on to success in the North West Counties Premier Division.

Pilkington Recs: Ashton; Rigby, Pratt, Lyons, Lacey; Rogers, Ste Rawsthorne; Morris, Cahalin, Rafferty, Rees, Shaw, Burns. Subs: Mason, Lynch, Loughlin. Parr.

Batley: Preece; McGilvray, Cardoza, Maun, Browne, Barlow, Mennell, Stenchion, Lythe, Smith, Buttery, Crouthers, Gallagher. Subs: Lindsay, Watson, Potter, Flanagan.

9th March 2009

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