De la Salle 12 Blackburn 12

5:18pm Tuesday 18th March 2008

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BLACKBURN secured the one point they needed to claim promotion and with it the North Lancashire/Cumbria league title.

However, it needed an injury time penalty from skipper Paul Bleasdale to claim a share of the spoils after having trailed to the hosts throughout the second half.

The draw keeps Blackburn's unbeaten in the league, but after 18 straight wins, hopes of going through the season with a 100 per cent record are over.

It was Burn who started the livelier playing into a slight wind.

The visitors were first on the board when Bleasdale kicked a penalty after a late tackle had given them a penalty twenty five yards out from the posts.

This became 0-6 when a second penalty allowed the skipper to double the lead.

It was the home side though who were first over the try line.

The home forwards drove impressively and after a number of drives for the line the home second row crossed for a try. The conversion was missed so Burn led 5-6 at the break.

At the start of the second half the visitors tried hard to break down the strong home defence.

Having worked the ball wide winger Lambert tried to chip the ball over the home defence but this was charged down and allowed the home wing to impressively pick up the ball and evade the frantic covering tacklers to score a second try.

This was converted and the hosts led 12-6 after 50 minutes.

Burn tried hard to recover the game. Bleasdale added a third penalty after the home side were caught offside but the visitors twice threw away strong scoring opportunities.

Just when the game looked lost a last attack drove to the shadow of the posts. A ruck infringement insued and a nerveless Bleasadale stroked over his fourth penalty to draw the game.

With a draw needed to secure the championship, this brought some celebrations from the visiting support if a little subdued by the result.

Chariman of Rugby Gareth Dyer was a happy man.

He said: "We got a draw and that's enough to secure the league!

"I thought De la Salle played well and deserved something out of the game.

"Luke Copping was outstanding for us and really drove us forward.

"It is not just about today it's been the 18 games as a whole that we have played well.

"League tables don't lie and we can be rightly proud of our level of performance this season.

"We have two league games left and the lads will be hungry to ensure we remain unbeaten till the end of the season."

BLACKBURN: McCarthy, Millea, Reay, Miller, Beeston, Doolan, Jarrold, Copping, Bleasdale, Radice, Maudsley, Elston, Sutcliffe, Lambert, Barnes. Subs: Calcutt, Pearson, Evans.