Fylde 40 Chester 10: report by Elliot Burrow
In slightly warmer conditions than the Stourbridge game, Fylde rounded off 2021 in style with a win over Chester, who battled hard for the full 80 minutes but were ultimately beaten thanks to a first-half try hat-trick from Tom Grimes.
Fylde were excellent in that 15 – 10 win over Stourbridge, but a disappointing loss on the road to Hull which meant it was their 4th away defeat this season stopped them having any momentum for this fixture, something which is essential if you want to be fighting for those top spots.
Two changes were made to the starting line-up which fell to defeat on the Humberside, Matt Ashcroft coming in at tighthead prop and Harlan Corrie back at blindside wing forward with Sam Kyle-Clay recovering from injury to sit on the bench alongside the returning Ben O’Ryan and Adam Lewis.
Chester were sitting comfortably in mid-table with six wins and seven losses filling their record so far this campaign.
Their win against Blaydon last weekend stopped a run of three losses but on their day they still looked like they were capable of causing Fylde plenty of problems, a fast looking back three seeming as though it could cause the most damage.
As the teams made their way onto the pitch they ran through a tunnel of Santas, a mixture of current players at the club who had their games postponed due to the rise in Covid cases, both sides were hoping for an early Christmas present so that they could put another win on the board in the league table.
There wasn’t even a minute on the clock when Fylde opened the scoring, Tom Forster breaking the line from inside his own half, before passing to the supporting Tom Carleton who then found Grimes who finished the move off in the corner.
Greg Smith couldn’t convert from the touchline but I think you would struggle to find a quicker try across all the divisions this weekend let alone just the National League Two North, a quick start to say the least.
Both teams then found themselves in a deadlock, with neither side being able to push on in the game, and when Chester won a penalty on 24 minutes, Liam Reeve slotted it over to make it Fylde 5 – 3 Chester and put the visitors on the scoreboard.
Fylde responded to the pressure though from the visitors, a Scott Rawlings cut out pass wide to skipper Ben Gregory allowed him to draw the man, and send Grimes in at the corner for his second of the match, Smith converting this time.
The floodlights were struggling to do their job and light up the pitch, so Grimes was trying his best to brighten The Woodlands up with an electric first-half performance which saw him wrap up his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time.
Matt Sturgess won the ball back for Fylde on the halfway line, before he beat a defender and produced an excellent chip kick to the corner where Grimes chased it down and pounced on the loose ball to complete his hat-trick.
Greg Smith converted from the touchline, a place he had found himself for all conversions so far, to send his team in at half-time with a 19 – 3 lead.
A good enough half from the home side which sent them in with a deserved lead, but they still had plenty of work to do to see this game out as Chester were proving to be a tough nut to crack.
At times they gave the ball away far too easily but they were trying to play expansive rugby compared to the game against Stourbridge, where they were drawn into a battle from the first minute due to the weather conditions.
They made a strong start to the second-half which put them on the front foot immediately, and Scott Rawlings made sure they made it count when he went over to score, Smith converting again.
This was more like the Fylde we’ve seen this season, rolling forward and the skipper Gregory helped himself to a try of his own when he powered over from close range but Harry Wilkinson gave the visitors slight hope with a try to hit back.
Matt Garrod was then sin binned in the 74th minute, before Tom Carleton got in on the act with a score on the full-time whistle to make it Fylde 40 – 10 Chester.
A comfortable enough win in the end for Fylde, who were made to work hard at times to overcome their opposition with the end score line not doing the visitors justice.
Home form has been one important factor throughout this opening half of the season for Chris Briers and Alex Loney’s side, and I’m sure on their Christmas list they’ll both be wanting one thing and that’ll be to keep that momentum going when they play teams away.
A trip to Loughborough awaits them in the new year, a side they managed to beat at home 29 – 17 in the first home game this season, before they return to The Woodlands to face Huddersfield who they beat on the road 22 – 15.
Teams
Fylde: Forster, Hadfield, Carleton, Rawlings (Turner 56), Grimes, Smith, Sturgess (Lanigan 63), Higgins (Kyle-Clay 30, Higgins 71), Gregory, Ashcroft (Lewis 30, Ashcroft 71), Parkinson, Garrod, Corrie, Partington (O’Ryan 63), Fairbrother.
Chester: Long, Himbury, Green, Phillips, Vare (Craven 26), Reeve, Holloway, Furnival (Williams 56), Robson, Parry (Woods 56), Spalding (Jones 51), Lloyd, Wilkinson, Brearey, Baxter (Joseph 51).
Star man: Tom Grimes – Didn’t put a foot wrong on the day, making breaks across the pitch alongside scoring his hat-trick and also defending well when Chester threw the ball at wide.
Game breaking moment: Tom Grimes’ third try on the stroke of half-time allowed Fylde some breathing space going into the interval, a brilliant chip kick from Matt Sturgess somehow staying in play, and Grimes chased it down to score.
