Wharfedale 10 vs Fylde 20: report by Simon Taylor
Fylde overcame a power cut, an early red card, 3 yellow cards, inclement weather and a determined and in-form Wharfedale team to gain yet another hard fought away win. The second half, played into the elements and uphill, was a magnificent display of ball retention and accuracy. Fylde fully deserved this sixth victory on the bounce, the only thing that was missing was a bonus point, but that was immaterial in the context of the challenges they overcame on the day and the quality of the performance.
A power cut had presented serious organisational challenges to Wharfedale, and they did all they could to cope. The Fylde officials left the players to get changed in the near darkness of the unlit changing rooms and with the kitchens out of operation put plan B into operation and de-camped to a hostelry in Grassington to sample some local fare. On their return for the 2 o’clock kick off the clubhouse was lit up and the beer pumps were in operation, much to the relief of the thirsty spectators.
Wharfedale won the coin flip and invited Fylde to play with the wind and slope first up. They then invited early pressure on themselves by allowing Greg Smith’s deep kick off to bounce into touch 10 yards out. They compounded this error by overthrowing an early line out, Fylde gathered and the try looked a certainty, in fact it was initially given but then chalked off for a knock on in the attempt to ground the ball.
Wharfedale found their feet and scrum pressure gave them a penalty to clear their lines. Back came Fylde and a driving maul near the Wharfedale line was pulled down illegally, with Wharfedale’s Tom Davidson sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes. The home team were resolute in defence and Fylde were frustrated in their attempts to break the deadlock. This frustration perhaps led to centre Scott Rawlings trying to force the issue and on 22 minutes his actions in the tackle were discussed by the officials and deemed worthy of the ultimate sanction, a red card. From producing a defining moment of class to help Fylde beat Rotherham the week previously the pendulum had swung, and Fylde were left to play nearly a full hour with 14 men. Things then went from bad to worse as Dave Fairbrother was yellow carded on 27 minutes and now Fylde were 2 men in arrears.
Unsurprisingly Wharfedale sniffed blood and were able to make the extra men count as they stretched the Fylde 13’s defence. The penalties were also going the way of the home team as Fylde manfully sought to re-group. Wharfedale forced a line-out close to the line and the catch and drive maul was executed well to give them a 5-0 lead on 28 minutes. To their credit, Fylde stuck to their guns and ground out two kickable penalty opportunities in the 31st and 35th minutes, both ably slotted by Greg Smith, and Fylde were able to get into the by now illuminated changing rooms at half time with a slender 6-5 lead.
The second half saw Fylde take their turn in playing uphill and into the elements and, much as Wharfedale had done, they knuckled down to their task, knowing that yards forward would be hard-earned, and any errors would be punished by territory gains from the Wharfedale number 10’s boot. An object lesson in ball retention and hard work followed with everybody doing their share.
The starting front row of Sam Kyle-Clay, Ben Gregory and Matt Ashcroft were putting in their always solid shift ably supported by Corey Bowker and Zack Barrow when they were called up from the trenches. The engine room of Matt Garrod and Oli Parkinson were impeccable in the line-out department and willing ball carriers. The back row of Dave Fairbrother, Ben O’Ryan and Harlan Corrie are a formidable trio with an unending appetite for dishing out big hits and being willing to take them in return.
Matt Sturgess at scrum half had another fine game and is proving impossible to separate from his starting berth. Greg Smith was varying the play to bring in his outside backs when the time was right. Tom Carleton was lurking dangerously and defending stoutly, and Joe Bedlow was solidity personified as he always got over the gain-line and was unpassable in defence. Henry Hadfield did what he always does and is a man you would always want in your team rather than play against. Last, but not least, young Ben Turner had an excellent game deputising for the injured Tom Grimes, not an easy shirt to fill.
Fylde monopolised possession and went through multiple phases near the Wharfedale line, looking for a chink in their armour. It looked like the chance had gone on 48 minutes when the ball was turned over, but the clearance kick gave Turner the chance to return the ball with interest. This left the home defence slightly out of kilter and that is all that Tom Carleton ever needs as he picked the gap and went under the posts. Smith converted and Fylde had a smidgeon of breathing space at 13-5 up.
It was now Wharfedale’s turn to become frustrated at their lack of possession and try scoring chances and they hindered their cause on 51 minutes when Simon Borrill was yellow carded for an off the ball shoulder barge. With equal numbers temporarily Fylde were continuing to keep ball and grind out the yards, the level of accuracy in the wet and windy weather was highly impressive and effective.
On 58 minutes Matt Garrod made a lovely break in midfield but his offload was snaffled by Wharfedale, and the chance was snuffed out. Dave Fairbrother as always had a full-on day which now involved a temporary blood bin spell with a damaged nose with Marcus Blake coming on to replace him. Fairbrother was back on in time for the next meaningful moment on 68 minutes when a sharp break by Matt Sturgess fractured the home defence again, Greg Smith on support to swoop for a try he converted himself and Fylde were now 20-5 up.
With time running out Wharfedale to their credit flexed their formidable muscles once more. There might have been no heat in the clubhouse till just before kick-off, but the heat was well and truly on Fylde in the last 12 minutes. A running line error by Fylde gave a penalty away when they were in possession and the deep kick to touch gave Wharfedale the chance to camp out and batter away at the Fylde try line. Marcus Blake had replaced O’Ryan but lasted just 5 minutes as a huge tackle on the hard running Wharfedale prop saw him back off nursing a shoulder injury.
Waves of Wharfedale runners were repelled as a formidable onslaught took place. Penalties were almost inevitable, and these escalated to yellow cards for both Garrod and Fairbrother in the 75th and 76th minutes. With it being the second yellow for Fairbrother his was converted to Fylde’s second red card of the day. Still the defence held firm until with the last play of the game Wharfedale flung it wide and with only 12 men on the pitch for Fylde the overlap was there for the try in the corner. The conversion was missed and with no time left to re-start Fylde had secured an excellent win at 20-10.
This really was an excellent game between two in-form teams, both teams played their best rugby into the elements and the spectators got their money’s worth. Wharfedale is always a tough place to play at and whilst the lack of a bonus point meant Fylde slipped a place to third in the table this victory was as good as any this season. 16 wins from 20 starts with two thirds of the season gone is an excellent return. With 10 games left, 6 at home and 4 away, Fylde remain well placed to challenge for a top two finish if they carry on with this level of performance.
Coach Chris Briers awarded man of the match to skipper Ben Gregory and commented; “This was a highly pleasing win, achieved in the face of adversity with the early red card. Whatever challenges these lads are presented with they are able to rise to and we will look to maintain the levels we have hit. We controlled the second half well and in hindsight there were a couple of other scoring chances we could have taken. The challenges continue as we now face a very good Sedgley Park team at home next week.”
Click here for Wharfedale’s excellent action photographs.
And here for the Greens’ very fair match report.
Teams:
Fylde: Carleton, Turner, Rawlings, Bedlow, Hadfield, Smith, Sturgess, Kyle-Clay (Barrow 52), Gregory (c), Ashcroft (Bowker 52), Parkinson, Garrod, Corrie, O’Ryan (Blake 68, O’Ryan 72), Fairbrother.
Non-playing replacements: Lanigan, Forster
Wharfedale: Davidson W, Bullough (Bullock 68), Blakeney-Edwards (Blackwell 68), Moore, Canny, Davidson T, Macnab, Beesley, Stockdale (Altham 40), Dickinson (Hirst 76), Hedgley (Jackson 55), Borrill, Green, Carlson, Burridge.
