Report by Elliot Burrow.
It was heartbreak for Fylde on Saturday afternoon, as they pushed table toppers, and now seemingly certainties for promotion, Hull RUFC, all the way, but fell to a narrow 28 – 26 defeat.
The game was one of two halves to say the least, with only a minute gone when Hull fullback Reece Dean was fortunate to not see red, when he caught his opposite number Tom Carleton with a high tackle, which subsequently only saw him sin binned.
He then came back to haunt Fylde in the second-half with two tries, which ended up being enough to push his side to victory, and within touching distance of promotion to National League Division One.
Fylde made two changes to the starting line-up that fell to defeat against Stourbridge last week, Henry Hadfield returning from his suspension which he picked up in the last home game, and Zach Barrow starting at loose-head prop.
The sunshine was well and truly out at the Woodlands, with a packed crowd of 962 in the house to watch them take on a team who had so far been excellent over the course of the season.
A big strong set of forwards, with backs who could cause teams plenty of problems meant the visitors had a perfect balance to their side, and they kicked us off and got the game underway.
Hull were reduced to 14 men with barely a minute gone, when Matt Sturgess took a quick penalty tap, and found Tom Carleton, who was then caught by a high tackle from Hull’s fullback Reece Dean.
Dean was sent to the sin bin, and Fylde made the extra man count immediately, when man of the match from the Luctonians game David Fairbrother strolled in at the corner to open up the scoring in the 5th minute. Greg Smith converted from the touchline and gave the home side an early 7 – 0 lead.
Fylde were dominating the early stages, making the hard yards, and also not giving Hull any chance of starting an attack, with complete control over possession.
They scored again in the 9th minute when Smith threw the ball out to the right, and found captain Ben Gregory who powered over to score, Smith again converting to make it 14 – 0.
The table toppers hadn’t quite sprung into gear yet, but started to find their rhythm when it came to the breakdown, some strong scrummaging allowing them to win penalties, and build pressure on the Fylde line.
After a period of consecutive penalties against them, Fylde were reduced to 14 men in the 23rd minute when Ben O’Ryan was sin binned for a deliberate knock-on, and six minutes later Adam Lewis joined him for bringing down a maul near the Fylde line. With the home side down to 13 players, it was quite simply delaying the inevitable now, and after 10 minutes of continuous pressure at the scrums, Hull were awarded a penalty try for another infringement on the Fylde line, and made it Fylde 14 – 7 Hull.
Towards the end of the first-half, both teams were stuck in a stalemate at the breakdown, with scrum after scrum coming, and the Fylde defence did well to hold out for as long as they did without conceding.
However, Fylde hit right back on the stroke of half-time, when Tom Carleton touched down out wide, to make it Fylde 19 – 7 Hull at the break.
A stronger start to the second-half from the visitors saw them get the scoring back underway again in the 48th minute when Kean Naylor dived over from close range to reduce the deficit to five points after fly-half Simon Humberstone’s conversion.
After being behind since the fifth minute, Hull then took the lead, when they shifted the ball out to Dean, who squeezed through a gap and managed to get the ball down, Humberstone converted and they now led 21 – 19.
Fylde weren’t down and out though, and back they came. In the 64th minute Smith produced a pinpoint kick out to the left corner where Gregory grabbed the loose ball to score. Smith converted once more from wide out and the home side were back in front at 26-21.
It had turned into a back and forth contest now, Hull taking the lead once more in the 73rd minute when Dean raced through another gap to cross. He stepped up and converted his own try to put them ahead by two points.
Fylde threw everything into the pursuit of the victory. A brilliant break from Carleton almost led to Grimes going in at the corner but the Hull defence held out. The league leaders were relieved to hear the final whistle and to claim a 28 – 26 victory.
Heartbreak in the end for the home side, but a fantastic performance that deserved so much more.
Head coaches Chris Briers and Alex Loney could be well and truly proud of their players, and they had ultimately gaven it everything for the full 80 minutes against a side who next year almost certainly won’t even be in their division.
Congratulations had to go to the away side as well though, who were made to dig deep, and showed exactly what champions are made of with their performance in the second-half.
They now only need a point from their remaining two games to secure their place in National League Division One next season and have a chance to do so next week against rivals Hull Ionians.
For Fylde though, an away trip to Chester awaits them, before they play their last home and league game of the season on April 30, where Tynedale are the visitors.
Click here for Chris Farrow’s action photographs.
Teams
Fylde: Carleton; Hadfield, Forster, Rawlings, Grimes; Smith, Sturgess; Barrow (Kyle-Clay 23, Barrow 48), Gregory, Ashcroft (Lewis 23, Ashcroft 65), Parkinson, Garrod, Corrie, O’Ryan (Blake 61), Fairbrother.
Non-playing replacements: Turner, Lanigan.
Hull: Dean; Adlard, Turaga, Johnson, Naylor; Humberstone (Trueman 63); Harding (Crane 72), Kivalu (Beech 26, Jobling 60), Thompson, Jobling (Boothman 26, Kivalu 79), Curry, Regardsoe, Makaafi (Cowen 70), Cowen (Jones 60), Hall.
Non-playing replacement: Duell.
Game breaking moment: Reece Dean was involved in the game from minute one when he was sin binned for his high tackle on Tom Carleton, and he went on to score two second-half tries to help his side to an all important victory in their race for promotion.
Star Man: Ben Gregory: For the visitors, Reece Dean was the game changer and stand out man in the final few minutes, however for Fylde, the skipper led from the front again, and did everything possible alongside his team mates to try and win the game. He’s been ever present in his side this season and the model of consistency, and he showed again even in defeat, just how well he leads from the front.
Attendance: 962