Rovers go down to 'cruellest' defeat in golden-point finish to 1895 final

Featherstone Rovers suffered the cruellest of defeats in Saturday's 1895 Cup final showpiece against York Knights, being pipped 5-4 after golden-point extra-time.

- by Peter Smith

Rovers won a free-scoring thriller 41-34 when the sides met at Wembley four years ago.

But the rematch on the same ground could not have been more of a contrast, player of the match Liam Harris' drop goal eventually separating the teams after a tryless 85 minutes.

It was Rovers' second defeat in an 1895 Cup final, following their loss to Leigh at Tottenham in 2022 and Harris' drop goal prevented them becoming the first club to lift the trophy twice.

The game was every bit as tight as the scoreline suggests; driving rain meant there wasn't much opportunity for flowing rugby, but the defence from both sides was outstanding.