Fylde RFC 26-26 Sheffield Tigers
Report by Stuart McCracken
Fylde had to settle for a draw on the National 2 North’s opening day after an entertaining affair with Sheffield Tigers at the Woodlands.
The hosts went into the break trailing the Tigers by 19-7, but second-half tries from Valu Tanē Bentley, Ben Turner and young fly-half Alex Clayton put Fylde into the lead with 15 minutes remaining. Alex Loney and Chris Briers side couldn’t hold out though, as Sheffield Tigers number eight Josh Redfern crashed over for his second try of the match to level proceedings.
Despite both side’s threatening to get the winning score in the remaining 10 minutes, they both had to settle for three points each and a 26-all draw to start their seasons.
The visitors made the first break of the match in the 7th minute when Louis Townsend broke a couple of tackles to get his team into Fylde’s 22. From there the Tigers took the lead thanks to a penalty try. Fylde’s left winger Adam Lanigan, was adjudged to have deliberately knocked on the ball to stop a certain try in the corner, resulting in the penalty try and a yellow card for the back.
The home side’s pressure, which they had been building since they went behind, was finally made to count in the 12th minute when inside centre Tom Forster crashed over after great play by his midfield partner Tom Carleton. Carleton made a ferocious hit on opposing full-back Will Baker to dislodge the ball after Forster kicked it in behind for him. Forster was quickest to respond to the loose ball to get Fylde’s first try of the new season.
Sheffield Tigers dominated after Fylde’s try with multiple scrum penalties being won by the visitors. They should have retaken the lead in the 25th minute when they had an overlap down the right. Unfortunately Mark Ireland’s miss pass to Baker wasn’t accurate enough for the full-back to hold.
The Tigers’ second try came minutes later when they benefitted from a misfiring Fylde lineout. Substitute David Fairbrother went up at the back of the lineout, but he couldn’t take Gregopry’s throw allowing Sheffield Tigers’ hooker Will Archer the chance to carry over from 10 yards. The front rower crashed over Clayton, Fylde’s fly-half, to put the visitors ahead. Mark Ireland added the extra two from the tee to put Sheffield Tigers 14-7 up.
Six minutes later they bagged their third try of the game. Throughout the match the travelling side were dominant at the scrum and it was this dominance which caused the third try. Number eight Josh Redfern touched down following another scrum drive to extend the Tigers’ lead. Ireland wasn’t on target with the resultant conversion and went on to miss a long range penalty later in the half as the Sheffield Tigers took a 19-7 lead into the break.
Four minutes after the interval Fylde went over the whitewash through new signing Valu Tanē Bentley. The back rower went quickly from a penalty to power his way over from 10 metres. It all came from great work from Clayton, who kicked in behind and chased brilliantly to help earn the penalty Bentley gained the try from. Unfortunately Clayton couldn’t add the extra two points from a tough angle.
Fylde levelled the game up as Fairbrother was found at the tail of the lineout where he passed the ball onto the backline who quickly got it through the hands to right winger Turner who ran in for an easy finish in the corner. Clayton nailed the resultant kick from a tough angle.
On the hour mark the ever exciting Jordan Dorrington broke the line for the third time in the match and fed captain Gregory who was presented with a 3v1, but the hooker’s loopy pass to the outside was intercepted by a retreating Tigers player, ending the great attacking opportunity.
Three minutes later Fylde did get the bonus point try they were after when Clayton stretched out to dot down. After sustained Fylde pressure the number ten received the ball five metres from the line, before side stepping inside to get half a yard of space to stretch and score. There was more to smile about for the young ten when he slotted over the extras to put Fylde seven points ahead.
The travelling Tigers rallied to respond seven minutes later through the impressive Redfern. The back rower got his second try of the afternoon when he powered through under the posts. Ireland easily added the extras to set up a tense final ten minutes with the scores level.
The final ten minutes saw both sides spur opportunities to use the ball and construct attacks resulting in the game ending 26-26.
After the match Fylde’s joint Head Coach Alex Loney shared his thoughts on the hard earned draw.
He said: “We were disappointed with the first-half performance. I think there was a lot of inaccuracy, a lot of mistakes, and we invited pressure. Fair play to Sheffield Tigers, they put it on us.
“At half-time it wasn’t panic stations, but it was definitely an awareness that we had to come out in a different mindset in terms of our work rate, in terms of our intensity and get the accuracy where it needs to be. Thankfully, we got it in the second half and to be honest, I think over the 80 minutes, a draw is probably a fair reflection of the game.”
Loney was pleased with the performance of young fly-half Clayton on opening day. He made some mistakes, but I don’t think there’s a player out there that can say they didn’t,” he said. “Alex is a talented player, someone who’s come through the club and we want him to flourish in the first team. All things considered I think he had a good game and had some outstanding moments like his try as well as his conversion from the side line.”
Fylde picked up three points due to them achieving the try bonus point and Loney believes every point could be crucial. He said: “We come into games looking for wins and then we look for five points. But I just said to Chris (Briers) we all know Sheffield Tigers are a good team and could beat anybody so you don’t know what the value of wins, draws, losses are.
“The big thing is we have come away with the three points and we’ve kept the unbeaten run going at home, which is something we’re proud of.”
Click here for Chris Farrow’s excellent album of over 200 action photos.
Fylde Man of the Match: Jordan Dorrington
Fylde RFC: Dorrington; Turner, CarletonT, Forster, Lanigan; Clayton, Gould; Bowker, Gregory, Lewis (Hulme 64), Ashcroft, Hall-Lyon (Garrod 45), Robinson (Fairbrother 21), Bentley, Harrison.
Non-playing replacements: Parker, Cadley.
Sheffield Tigers: Baker; Norman, Broadley, Goatley, Taylor; Ireland, Holmes (Wager 40); Bennett (Bingham 40), Archer, Simmons (Bennett 52), Cartwright, Fitzsimons, Anderson (Scott 52), Townsend (61), Redfern.
Non-playing replacement: Awoko