Police 0

Mariners 17

It just wasn't Police's day as they met Mariners in the annual Paul Marsden Memorial match. But despite ending the game without a point, the fire and no-holds barred duelling in the match would probably have met with the approval of the late Paul Marsden, who played for the Police and died while playing in this January fixture in 2006.

The Marsden family was in attendance from the UK and spectators and players alike observed a minute's silence.

Then it was on to the game and Mariners took full advantage of the wind behind them in the opening half.

The Mariners' back row of Kris Furbert, Gary Brady and the much improved Ryan Gonsalves were everywhere in the loose and as such the Greens thoroughly dominated time of possession.

Police bravely defended and some bone-jarring tackles were put in but Mariners slickly recycled and kept the pressure on. Eventually discipline broke down and referee Dennis Dwyer awarded a penalty for Police diving over the top.

Stand-off Richard Holden knocked over the penalty for an early 3-0 lead. That was to set the tone for the rest of the half and Holden made it 6-0 with another 60-metre penalty kick soon after.

With the early lead Mariners tails were up and from the restart full back Rich Fisher smartly kicked for the corner and once again the Police found themselves under the cosh. A hard driving Gonsalves rumbled towards the line and was brought down short by Police Captain Jamie Webb and standoff Tom Sutcliffe. Unfortunately the two tacklers clashed heads in their committed tackle. Sutcliffe had to leave the pitch for stitches to a nasty gash above the eye and Webb shortly thereafter had to also depart with a concussion.

Police reshuffled their backline, but were soon back under pressure. Police dropped a maul and gave away yet another penalty which Holden chipped through for a 9-0 lead.

Blue scrum-half Nick Superina ducked through a gap and was powering towards a try when he was dropped in his tracks by a high tackle. Michael Kane sensibly had a shot at the points with the awarded penalty. The ball cruelly curled in the wind and when it bounced off the post one could sense it was not going to be the Police's day.

Police fortunes worsened when the irrepressible Simpson had to retire from the game with an injury to his neck. Both sides went at it hammer and tongs in arguably the most physical of game this season.

Just before the break Mariners' scrum-half Mark Pomeroy found time hurl a pass out to standoff Holden who was crushed by a ferocious Cassidy tackle. Mariners recycled well and Pomeroy's dangerous looking pass down the blind side was cynically knocked down by late back tracking police substitute flanker Brian McNab, who was indeed fortunate not to be carded for his professional foul.

Holden slotted the penalty to give his side a 12-0 half time lead.

Although in the second half Police had the benefit of the wind and some sensible tactical kicking had the Greens pinned down for much of the half, the Police could not batter their way through a resilient Mariners defensive line.

Then a rare foray into the Police half saw the Mariners put together a string of strong runs finally culminating in their power house hooker Stafford driving a mass of bodies over from close to score an unconverted try for a flattering 17-0 lead. Much to their credit Police never gave up despite being starved of possession and they tackled themselves to a standstill.

The final whistle saw two very battle weary teams clap each other off the park in a remarkably bruising encounter - very much played in the spirit that Paul Marsden would have appreciated.

Police captain Jamie Webb will have to rally his troops in time for the upcoming Nichol Shield whilst Mariners are increasingly becoming the team no one wants to play.