Fylde 41-18 Otley
Fylde bounced back in style with a bonus-point win over Otley to make it back-to-back home wins in National Two North. The visitors were always competitive and, like Fylde, tried to run the ball whenever possible.
The hosts raced into a 28-10 lead at the break due to a couple of braces from in form Ben Gregory and Sam Carleton before the game lost it’s free-flowing style in the second-half, with Otley calling scrum after scrum.
Greg Smith also kept up his fine form from the tee with a 100% record for the second home game running, converting all seven of his kicks to draw up a tally of 16 points for himself alone.
The home supporters were delighted to see the return of long term injury absentee Sam Stott who hadn’t seen meaningful action since a serious facial injury at Wharfedale in February and a broken fibula in August at Blackburn. He had an excellent game on his return. The Fylde faithful in a sizeable crowd on such a gloomy day were also reassured by the substantial presence amongst the replacements of another injury victim making his first appearance of the season, Scott Rawlings.
Fylde made a fast start with Sam Carleton running in down the right wing to get the hosts’ first try of the game. Smith expertly added the extras from out wide to put Fylde 7-0 up after three minutes. Visiting Otley reduced the deficit with a Gavin Stead penalty minutes later, despite the ball looking as though it curled wide of the post. Stead and Otley attempted to add another three points in the tenth minute but the outside centre was unable to repeat his earlier trick.
Fylde and Otley shared possession in an entertaining affair at the Woodlands in the following 15 minutes but neither side could break through the others’ defence, with a couple of wonderful 50-22’s produced by both sides.
The hosts’ second try of the afternoon came from the inform Gregory, who muscularly bundled himself over the line to extend Fylde’s lead in the 27th minute. Smith continued his strong kicking form as well, adding the extras once again for the hosts.
Valu Tane Bentley made a brilliant try saving tackle on the half hour mark as George Bowen threatened to go under the posts but it was all in vain as Otley kept hold of the ball and swung it out wide to a free Sam Taylor, who dotted down for Otley’s first try of the match. Stead converted the try brilliantly from out wide.
Fylde responded almost instantly due to a brilliant 50-22 kick by Smith. From the resultant lineout captain Gregory bagged his second try of the afternoon from a driving maul. Smith continued his clean record from the tee with another brilliant conversion from out wide.
The hosts weren’t done with Sam Carleton also bagging his brace in the last play of an entertaining opening 40. The winger’s effort was beautiful in its creation with Tom Forster making the first break before he combined brilliantly with fellow backs Jordan Dorrington and Sam Carleton to help the winger crash in in the corner.
Otley got the first points of the 2nd half with substitute Joe Rowntree converting a penalty three minutes after the break. Smith cancelled out Rowntree’s kick two minutes later with a penalty kick of his own.
One area of Fylde dominance was in the line-out where the towering young Sale Sharks Academy lock, Tom Burrow reigned supreme. However, the Fylde scrummage came under increasing pressure from the aggressive Otley pack. The following 15 minutes saw Otley choose scrum after scrum in Fylde’s 22 leading to an eventual try for fullback Taylor, once again in the corner. Rowntree couldn’t convert the try meaning the visitors still trailed by 13 points with quarter of an hour still to play.
Smith, who ran the show for Fylde, converted another penalty in the 65th minute to continue his fine day with the boot. Fylde’s last try of the match came five minutes from time in once again spectacular style. Dorrington brilliantly caught a Smith cross-field kick to dive in in the corner. Smith converted the try to finish the day with an 100% kicking record for the second home game running.
Dorrington’s try shouldn’t have been the last of the afternoon though as Gregory, who was on for his second hat-trick of the season, dropped a pass from Tom Carleton with the try line gaping in the final play of the match. It didn’t matter in terms of the outcome of the game though as Fylde responded from last week’s defeat to Sheffield with a bonus point win at the Woodlands. Fylde move up to 6th in National Two (North) as a consequence.
Click here for Chris Farrow’s action photos.
Fylde Man of the match: Greg Smith
Coaches’ MoM: Tom Burrow
Fylde team:
T.Carleton, Dorrington, Forster, Stott, S.Carleton, Smith, Wootton, Bowker, Gregory, Altham, Burrow, Garrod, Hall-Lyon, Bentley, Harrison
Replacements: Brooks, Williamson, Raymont, Lanigan, Rawlings
Otley Team:
Taylor, Martin, Stead, Holmes, Wells, Crossland, Eaton, Mudd, Gibson, Moss, Malthouse, Jackson, Fontaine, Hodge, Waddington
Replacements: John-Morris, Nicholls, Bowen, Rowntree, Parnell