THEY have been making rugby history at Devonshire Road since 1873 and yesterday saw Millom write another small chapter as they took on the newest entrants to the sport’s oldest knock-out competition in the first round.

The name Red Star Belgrade is perhaps more associated with the round-ball code of football, but the storied Serbian sporting organisation have a thriving rugby league section too and this year saw them able to test themselves in the Coral Challenge Cup.

This first-round tie had created a buzz both in this area and beyond, with an estimated crowd of around 1,200 packing the touchlines, and others trying to grab a glimpse of the action from the top floor of the Devonshire Arms or open skylights of nearby houses.

The sense of occasion was added to by the clash between the old and the new being streamed live worldwide on the BBC Sport website, although the Red Star supporters in attendance and those hoping for a fairy-tale story were left disappointed though as Millom emerged 38-10 victors.

Led by hard-charging prop Ethan Kelly and with the wind at their backs in the first half, the Woolybacks showed little sentiment towards their opponents and were ahead within four minutes as Noah Robinson scooted from dummy-half for a try converted by Adam Kelly.

Millom used their speed and guile to exploit gaps in Red Star's defence too and, after Joseph Wright had knocked on over the line, were in again on 14 minutes after Chris Warren set up Dom O'Brein to score.

Red Star's Australia half-back Darcy Etrich produced a moment of individual magic on a rare foray into Millom's half in the first 40 minutes to put the visitors on the board eight minutes later, with full-back Milos Zogovic adding the extras.

But further tries from Hanley Dawson and Warren, plus two penalties from scrum-half Kelly put them 22-6 up at half time.

It was a similar story after the break, with Jonathon Hodgson grabbing two tries and O'Brien getting over again, along with Kelly kicking two more conversions to seal the win.

Red Star did give their fans something else to cheer when Aleksandar Borojevic forced his way over, but this was still a day which will live long in the memory for both clubs.

Millom: Ross Brookes; Niall Harris, Tyler Lancaster, Hanley Dawson, Anthony Dixon; Jonathon Hodgson, Adam Kelly; Ethan Kelly, Noah Robinson, Dane Kelly, Joseph Wright, Dom O’Brien, Tom Sibley. Interchange: Ricky Donoghue, Chris Warren, Charlie Emslie, Paul Carter.

Red Star Belgrade: Milos Zogovic; Ilija Krstic, Aleksandar Borojevic, Brandon Anderson, Rajko Trifunovic; Darcy Etrich, Stefan Nikolic, Slobodan Manak, Vladislav Dedic, Marko Jankovic, Predrag Keglic, Jamil Robinson, Stefan Nedeljkovic. Interchange: Nikola Djuric, Denis Cengaj, Matej Bajic, Petar Milanovic.

Referee: Brad Milligan.