Police 30 The Rest 15 The goal-posts were borrowed from the Bermuda Bowl, but the game sometimes felt like a Super Bowl.

The inaugural rugby match at Police Field yesterday took on the air of a big-time spectacle as Police put the brakes on a two-game losing skid in the Duckett Memorial with a nifty 30-15 win over The Rest.

Trailing 15-11 midway through the second half, the Blues exploded for three tries in the last 20 minutes to put the game out of reach before a highly-partisan crowd of more than 100 rugby fans.

Police -- enjoying a remarkable comeback in Division One this season -- turned it on early with spirited gallops towards the try line by outside half Alan Oliver and right wing Shane DeMille, but failed on both occasions to put points on the scoreboard.

Like the jackhammer that droned in the background at a nearby construction site, hooker Mike Deevy built the foundation for a Police triumph with his try in the final seconds of the first half.

"When we got that score in the last play of the half, there's no doubt it was a tremendous psychological boost to go five points up at half-time,'' said Oliver later. "Then it was all about us carrying on where we left off.'' Deevy, who grabbed the ball from centre Dave Bird following a brilliant run by DeMille, said the Blues were spurred by the boisterous crowd, most of whom were ensconced on the eastern side of the pitch.

"As a non-policeman it really got you going to play here today,'' the fun-loving Irishman said. "I think the opposition were a bit nervous coming out here, even the referee made comments about the crowd being a bit one-sided...it really got us going.'' While Deevy's try gave Police the early momentum in the second half, it didn't take long for Teachers star Andre Simons to snatch it away.

Just four minutes into the second half Simons went over for a try after one of his typical bursts of speed to knot the score. The Rest grabbed the lead with Phil Heaney's conversion, made tricky by a brutal wind.

Three minutes later Tim Carr kicked his second penalty on the day to give Police a narrow, and short-lived, 11-10 lead.

A minute later Oliver was thwarted in his heroic bid to kick a 45-yard penalty which seemed to suddenly turn the tide in The Rest's favour.

Simons scored his second try to put The Rest in front 15-11 and, according to Blues' captain Sean Field, "things began to look a bit grim.'' But it was The Rest who seemed to hit a note lower than Ian Jamieson, who brought his one-man bagpipe show to the sidelines.

Carrying much of the offensive load, Simons injured his left shoulder after scoring his second try.

"I guess I came down on the point...I didn't feel anything pop and I didn't dislocate it, but it's very painful right at the top. Hopefully it's not that bad because we've got a couple of big games coming up.'' Simons -- blaming himself for Deevy's score -- tried to make up for the miscue by dominating play during the first 15 minutes of the second frame.

"It was my mistackle that let them score,'' said Simons. "That was very silly and I was getting kind of greedy and I paid for it.'' Blues then erupted with scores by centre Mark Adams, one of nicest on the day and engineered by prop Danny Cozens, followed by tries from Troy Glasgow and Oliver.

The game was also noted for its heated moments with Adams and Ali Nicoll sparring in the first half and Glasgow slapped on the neck by Ashley Redmond.

"It's one of the better games I've played in, there's no doubt that,'' said Oliver. "Playing here today in front of a big crowd made all the difference.

Luckily it was an exciting game and a lot of tries scored. The boys on both sides entered into the spirit of things and threw the ball around.

"We adapted fairly well after the initial nerves from playing at home. Once we bypassed that we settled down and did the basics pretty well.'' Referring to his try Oliver said: "It was nice to squeeze one in at the end.

I don't score them often these days.'' The game produced the second-highest points total in Duckett history, tying the 45 scored in the first match in 1973. Last year saw the most points scored, 49, in a match held in memory of former Police Commissioner George Duckett, who was gunned down in 1972.

Field, who has made it known he'll step down as Blues' captain after this season, accepted the winning shield from acting commissioner Alex Forbes.

"This was my ninth (Duckett) and one of the most exciting,'' said Field.

"Just the whole atmosphere. ..people reached deep inside and produced the games of their lives. I found it thrilling and it must have been something to watch.'' SPOT KICK SEALS SOMERSET'S FATE DEX SOC RG P21 23.1.1995 Spot kick seals Somerset's fate Somerset 0 Vasco 1 A dubious penalty, converted by Earl Richardson after 21 minutes, carried Vasco into the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the third straight season in this bruising contest at Somerset yesterday.

Corey Hill, in behind the flat-footed Somerset defence on the end of a quickly-taken Mark Ray free kick, appeared to handle the ball in his efforts to get around goalkeeper Andre Hendrickson.

But all referee Stuart Crockwell acknowledged was the 'keeper bringing down the forward and the resultant decision was academic.

Richardson sent Hendrickson the wrong way with his kick and that goal proved decisive although Vasco had ample opportunities to run up the score.

The Trojans defence was again missing Jermaine Burrows (ribs injury) and his absence proved crucial.

An out-of-shape Shaun Roberts committed three bad fouls in the first nine minutes. He was booked on the third occasion, and then replaced by Jerry Webb in the 20th minute unable to shake off a knock from Dwight Basden.

Another defender to take an early shower was Duane DeRoza, but in his case a second bookable offence midway through the second half earned a red card.

Nevertheless, Somerset coped reasonably well with the key sources of their anguish a week ago, Hill and Irving Burgess, but former Trojan Basden ran them ragged with his perseverance.

Somerset's best move of the first half ended with Rodney Bascome volleying over.

Curtis Grant, asked to move from left midfield to left-back after Roberts limped off, nearly drew Somerset level in the 26th minute but Vasco 'keeper Timmy Figureido just got a hand to his 30-yard cross-shot and turned it wide.

Vasco had the better of the rest of the half, mostly through Hill and Walton Burgess combining well on the left.

A superb Basden cross on the stroke of half-time provided Hill with another great chance but his header beat the left upright as well as Hendrickson.

The home side, fortunate to be only one goal down at the interval, gave their frustrated fans hope in the second half as they played with more conviction and determination. The missing ingredient, however, was a goal.

Bascome did well in the 52nd minute to hook a cross past Figureido but Reggie Tucker just failed to connect with a header.

At the other end, Irving Burgess volleyed wide when well placed and Kentoine Jennings, who enjoyed a commanding game, had a firm header plucked out of the air by Hendrickson.

Then, Somerset really should have scored.

Webb burst into open space on the left in the 64th minute and hit a hard, low drive that Bascome got on the end of but helped over the top from 10 yards with the 'keeper at his mercy.

Figureido earned his keep in the second half with a series of timely interventions. He needed to be especially brave in the 66th minute to cut out Lamaul Crofton's low cross with Bascome pouncing.

Then, the luckless Bascome shot wide with his last chance before the coaching staff ended his misery and brought on Antoine Brangman.

DeRoza's dismissal, for a heinous tackle on a streaking Irving Burgess, did little to help Somerset's cause but they did outplay Vasco the rest of the way.

Somerset forced three consecutive corners in the 82nd minute and on the last one Grant shot over when a partial clearance fell to him 15 yards out on on the left.

Kwame Tucker had a dipping shot go over from 20 yards, then Hendrickson's reflexes twice kept the home team in with a shout of forcing extra time.

He first got a touch to a Burgess header, which slammed off the upright and then denied Karl Roberts, with Hill instrumental in both plays.

Somerset: A.Hendrickson; D.DeRoza, S.Roberts (J.Webb, 20 mins), N.Woods, A.Rahman; C.Grant, R.Simmons, R.Tucker; K.Tucker, R.Bascome (A.Brangman, 71 mins), L.Crofton.

Vasco: T.Figureido; E.Richardson, D.Livingston, K.Jennings, D.Stapley; W.Burgess (P.Towlson, 73 mins), K.Roberts, M.Ray; C.Hill, D.Basden, I.Burgess.

Referee: Stuart Crockwell.

Men of the match: Andre Hendrickson (Somerset); Kentoine Jennings (Vasco).