HUDDERSFIELD 15 FYLDE 22
Fylde have struggled to impress at Lockwood Park in recent seasons and this clash once again demonstrated the determination of Huddersfield to fight to the end on their own patch. Although the visitors were always in front on the scoreboard, this was far from an easy victory. Whilst the final 15-22 score elevated the Lancastrians to the top of National Two (North), their error count and the failure to notch a four try bonus point was disappointing. Nevertheless, winning their second successive game away on the road showed their own resilience away from the Woodlands.
Fylde began the match with their usual attacking verve but ‘Field were also on their game as they forced the visitors back inside their 22m line. Fly-half Greg Smith cleared up field and that prompted the first serious Fylde attack. From a wayward home lineout, Phill Mills broke clear and slick handling by the backs allowed centre Scott Rawlings to drive for the line but the Huddersfield defenders held him up over the line.
One of the experimental new laws then came into force as this meant that ‘Field had a goal line drop out rather than a Fylde 5m scrummage. However, this proved a temporary relief for the home side as in the 8th minute the Fylde backs clicked into smooth action and wing Henry Hadfield sliced through their defence. Swift accurate handling resulted in wing Tom Grimes forcing his way over in the left corner. Smith’s touchline conversion was a beauty and the visitors had a 0-7 lead.
It was nip and tuck now as play shifted from end to end. Another Fylde attack looked as if it would extend Fylde’s lead but this time Grimes was held up over the try line and another goal line drop out was the result.
Once again this gave Fylde another platform for an attack in the 21st minute as the powerful Rawlings made the crucial initial break and swift hands resulted in Tom Grimes beating the last defender and squeezing into the left corner for his 2nd try. This time, Smith’s conversion attempt drifted wide but Fylde had a useful and deserved 0-12 lead.
Huddersfield struck back immediately as they pressurised the visitors goal line which resulted in hooker Liam Stapley picking an excellent line to power over for his side’s opening score. Centre Will Milner added the extras for a 7-12 scoreline.
‘Field were warming to their task and on the half hour at a scrum the visitors were penalised and Milner reduced the deficit further with a long range penalty to 10-12. This was to prove the nearest that Huddersfield got to overtake the Fylde score.
In the closing minutes of the 1st half, Fylde wrestled back control and won a lineout on the home 22m line. They won clean ball and Mills make another break through the defensive wall. This time he had the audacity to throw a lovely dummy and he skated through to the try line in acres of space. Greg Smith made the conversion from in front of the posts. The Fylde flanker was having an outstanding game, both at the tackle breakdown and with ball in hand. The halftime whistle blew and the visitors had a useful but not decisive 10-19 lead.
The 2nd half was a fierce battle with Huddersfield determined to claw their way back into the contest. However, Fylde staged a number of attacks but were rebuffed by sound defence. They would live to regret these misses as the bonus point try failed to materialise. They rested both their starting props, Sam Kyle-Clay and Corey Bowker, in the 48th minute with replacements Matt Ashcroft and Zack Barrow taking over. Shortly after, no 8 Marcus Blake gave way to another former Kirkham Grammar School product proudly making his 1st XV debut, Charlie Partington. Tom Carleton then picked up a knock and was replaced by the experienced Scott Jordan.
Fylde’s lead was no guarantee of victory and this was emphasised when from pressure inside the Fylde 22m line, hooker Stapley almost repeated his earlier success as he cut a neat line only to knock the ball on in the covering tackle.
Fylde’s work at the breakdown was impressive and they earned a number of penalties but were unable to turn them into points until the 67th minute when Greg Smith nailed a tricky penalty kick to extend his side’s lead to 10-22.
But back came Huddersfield as they spent most of the last ten minutes inside the Fylde half. Smith himself was injured in action and was replaced by Adam Lanigan. The home side’s pressure eventually paid off in the 79th minute as from a penalty against Fylde and a subsequent lineout, scrumhalf Jonny Mason nipped over for a neat try. Milner was unable to add the conversion but Huddersfield had notched a deserved losing bonus point as the final whistle sounded.
Although Joint Head Coach Chris Briers was pleased with another away win, his post match comments reflected some disappointment: “Today proved a real test. Everyone knew that it’s a difficult place to come and win. We are happy with the result but we think we could have given a bit more. We were frustrated at times and kicking ourselves we didn’t come away with all five points. The Huddersfield lads are real fighters and didn’t give us anything. We had to go out and get it. Those moments where we would normally expect to score they put intense pressure on us, forcing errors.”
HUDDERSFIELD: Workman; Wilkinson, Law (Hodson 25, Law 28), Milner, Catleugh (Wilkinson 62); Potter (Brooke 25), Mason; Thompson (Slater 67), Stapley, Smith (Sanderson 26), Pearson, Sharpe, Parfitt, Keighley-Payne (Myers 65), Bradley.
FYLDE: Carleton (Jordan 62); Hadfield, Forster, Rawlings, Grimes; Smith (Lanigan 73), Sturgess; Kyle-Clay (Ashcroft 48), Gregory, Bowker (Barrow 48), Parkinson, Garrod, Corrie, Mills, Blake (Partington 55).
