Match Report: Fylde vs Blaydon 1.10.22
By Elliot Burrow
“Fylde prove too sharp for Blades”
Fylde cemented their place at the top of the National Division Two table with a 42 – 7 win over Blaydon.
What started off as the perfect day for rugby with the sun out shining, although it was anything but that at the end of the game, Fylde made four changes to the starting line-up that was victorious last week over in East Riding of Yorkshire.
Scott Rawlings returned at centre with Tom Carleton also back in at full back for his second appearance of the season, Corey Bowker started in the front row and Matt Garrod also came back into the pack.
Blaydon had made a poor start to the season to say the least, four losses from their opening four games making it a complete contrast to Fylde’s.
Their opening match was a close one against Hull Ionians, the side Fylde beat 34-31 away last week, eventually losing 34-21, that was followed by another close game to Tynedale where they were just edged out, before Fylde’s early contenders for the top of the table Rotherham and Wharfdale both racked up the points against them.
They seemed to be up against it today as well with taking on Fylde, but they had shown signs of promise early on in some of those matches and were still a young squad that was learning, and had the potential to cause Fylde problems with their backs especially.
It ended up being a perfect start from the kick off for them as well, Fylde’s Harlan Corrie failing to collect the kick and knocking on, giving Blaydon an early chance to create pressure on the Fylde line.
They couldn’t make it count however, and Fylde soon regained possession of the ball and marched up the other end of the pitch, moving the ball out wide through hands slickly, with Jordan Dorrington finding his way on the end of it to dive over in the corner to score, Greg Smith missed the conversion from the touchline but after only three minutes Fylde had a lead.
It didn’t take long for Fylde to build on their quick start, moving the ball around quickly again, this time Matt Sturgess with an excellent ball to the supporting Matt Ashcroft who touched down to make it 10 – 0.
Blaydon were struggling to stop the Fylde attack which was anything but blunt early on, and they were powerless once more when Adam Lanigan broke from deep and set up the returning Tom Carleton who provided the crowd with one of his trademark runs, and raced down the wing to score, and with Smith converting, the league leaders were well on their way and led 17 – 0 after 13 minutes.
Tristan Woodman had an excellent summer with England Under 18’s, and he scored his first open age try for Fylde crashing over from close range, but then it was Blaydon’s turn to respond with Fylde’s defence momentarily switching off and allowing John Clarkson to stroll in under the sticks and convert his own try to make it 22 – 7, and that’s how it stayed until the referee blew his whistle to signal an end to the first half action.
It had been another fast start by Fylde which seemed to fizzle out after the three opening tries, Woodman’s try signified they were in complete control of the game but that split second lapse in concentration towards the end of the half had given Blaydon hope and a chance to get back into the game possibly.
They soon stamped their authority back on the game at the start of the second-half and stopped any momentum that Blaydon could have built quickly, when Woodman backed up another break to go over for his second of the game, an excellent afternoon for the teenager.
When it rains it pours they say, and for Woodman’s case, and the weather, that was quite literally the case.
His first open age try for the club coming in the first-half before going over for his second whilst the rains swept in and began lashing it down.
Blaydon were doing their best to weather the storm, and stop Fylde from cutting through again, and they managed to do that for a bit, taking Fylde until the 57th minute to score again, Tom Grimes coming off the bench for his 100th appearance for the club, going over in the corner, and extending Fylde’s lead to 32 -7.
Grimes was in the try scoring mood now, and when Carleton made a break out wide he backed up to score in the same corner as his first.
The home side were then reduced to 14 men when Dorrington was sin binned for obstruction, but it didn’t stop them from scoring again, Matt Sturgess making a break up the left and finishing it off to make it 42 – 7.
That was the final score of the game, and it finished 42 – 7, and joint head coach Chris Briers was delighted with how his side have started this season.
He said: “If you said at the start of the season that we would go five from five in these opening matches I would’ve definitely taken that.
“We were a bit disjointed out there today but we were always doing enough and scored some good tries still, it was nice to see Tristan Woodman get over for a couple of tries and it’s time to turn our attention now to Rotherham in two weeks.” The Coaches’ Fylde Man of the Match was Tom Grimes, with two very well taken tries after coming off the replacements bench for the 2nd half – and on his 100th appearance for the Club!
Maximum points so far with five bonus point wins, but a big month lies ahead as Briers mentioned in his post-match comments.
Rotherham away in two weeks before Wharfdale and Tynedale both visit the Woodlands in what will be an important end of the month for the side for sure.
Click here for Chris Farrow’s album of match photos.
Fylde: Carleton, Lanigan, C. Wilkinson, Rawlings, Dorrington, Smith, Sturgess, Bowker, Gregory (c), Ashcroft, Parkinson, Garrod, Corrie, Woodman, Fairbrother. Replacements: Altham, Lewis, O’Ryan, Stott, Grimes.
Blaydon: Simpson, Ashman, Cooney, Greenlaw, Greenwood, Marshall, Clarkson, Rewcastle, Appleby, Siddle, Turnbull, Wright, Dube, Edington, Varley. Replacements: Winter, Duffy, O’Neill, Douglas, Dowell.
Star man: Olli Parkinson – Tristian Woodman and Tom Grimes both scored braces, but Ollie Parkinson is one of the unsung heroes in the team week in, week out. He was excellent at the line outs and did the hard work as always in attack and defence which kept the visitors out and gave his backs a chance to play rugby. A solid performance, as always.
Attendance: 512
Referee: Nathan Howarth