Fylde 7 – 24 Wharfdale: report by Tom Kelly
Fylde suffered their first loss in six games as Wharfdale’s defence came out on top at the Woodlands in the National Two North.
It was a battle towards the top of the table, two teams right next to each other in the league, with Fylde in fourth, a place ahead of the visitors. A big crowd of over 900 had gathered, bolstered by former Fylde players attending their annual reunion and a party of students from Sedbergh School.
Despite more territory and possession in the first half, the hosts went into the break seven points down thanks to a try from Dale’s Oliver Cicognini.
It was still a competitive battle when both teams came out for the second half, with neither side managing to add to the tally until 20 minutes in when Valu Tane Bentley put Fylde on the board. But two late tries from Robert Baldwin and James Coulton, and a 100% success off the tee from livewire scrum-half Sam Gaudie, meant Dale returned home with a deserved victory and four league points.
It was Wharfdale’s first match in over a month, with the hosts playing twice within that time, including a win over Billingham last time out.
Fylde started the match the better of the two sides, spending plenty of time in Dale’s 22, winning several penalties and gaining territory. They made it five metres out within the first five minutes, but Wharfdale’s defence kept strong, a telling sign of what was to come.
12 minutes in and, unlike the hosts, Dale were clinical with their attacking possession scoring the first try of the match. Several phases unfolded right in front of the posts, with the visitors pushing closer to the try line, but when the ball became loose, Dale’s fly half Louis Verity chipped the ball over the scrambling Fylde defence. Cicognini beat everyone else to the ball and touched it down to break the deadlock. An impressive kick from Gaudie put the hosts seven points ahead.
Just five minutes later, Fylde thought they had come up with a quick reply. A maul from the lineout drove forwards and split away before going over the line. But again, Wharfdale’s pack came out on top, holding the ball up and denying Fylde the chance to put some points on the board.
It wasn’t long after that when Fylde made it back to five metres out, with several players being driving towards the Greens’ try line but the ball was eventually spilt. And mistakes such as those knock-ons started to creep throughout the Fylde side, and their penalty count began to increase.
In the ten minutes leading up to half time, more chances and more territory was coming Fylde’s way, but they were still struggling to make any use out of it with similar mistakes in important positions.
With penalties building both with and without the ball, the hosts had received their final warning before number eight Toby Harrison committed a high tackle right on the 40 minute mark, and was sent to the sin bin, ending the half on a disappointing note.
The second half started the same way the first half played out, both teams going toe to toe, all while increasing their penalty tally.
And it took just six minutes into the half for another player to receive a yellow card, this time it was Dale lock George Hedgley after the side gave away a number of penalties in quick succession.
Once Harrison returned back into play, Fylde aimed to exploit their man advantage to try and get themselves into the game, but unforced errors frustrated their ambition. An excellent break from Scott Rawlings ended up with nothing when the offload was knocked on and went to ground.
Just as Hedgley made his way back onto the pitch in the 57 minute, the visitors had yet another player replacing him the sin bin, with the still outstanding veteran no 8 Rob Baldwin the next to receive a yellow after a high tackle.
And Fylde finally made the most of their player advantage and all their territory a minute later when Tane Bentley went over to get their first points on the board. Fylde used their extra man at the scrum to drive towards the line, and then once it was in sight Bentley picked the ball out and scored the sides first points. Greg Smith added the conversion to bring the game level at seven points apiece.
Suddenly Fylde seemed to have the advantage and luck on their side, with a couple of loose balls ending up in their hands, but Wharfdale’s defence carried on doing what they had done all match, and held up strong denying Fylde any more points.
With ten minutes to go, Fylde were starting to tire, and Dale were the ones who were threatening, initially displayed with a dangerous chip from Rian Hamilton that just rolled dead.
73 minutes in, and Dale regained their lead through the previously sin binned Baldwin. They thought they had gone over moments earlier, but continued to build the phases with the pick and drive before Baldwin managed to put the visitors back ahead, and Sam Gaudie adding the extras.
With pressure on Fylde to try and level up the game, more penalties were coming along, and Dale decided to go for the posts, with Gaudi’s successful kick putting them more than a converted try ahead and denying Fylde any losing bonus points.
With the game coming to a close, Wharfdale added one more try, breaking down the Fylde defence before centre James Coulton went over for the final time in the match. Gaudie added the final two points on the board.
The large number of Wharfedale supporters jubilantly celebrated a deserved victory as the final whistle blew.
Fylde remain fourth in the table, but Wharfdale are just three points behind with two matches in hand. Fylde’s next match is against Lymm away from home.
Click here for Chris Farrow’s album of match photos.
Fylde: Dorrington; Lanigan, Forster (Rawlings 40), Stott, Carleton, Smith, Gould (Turner 65); Bowker (Brooks 55), Gregory, Altham (Raymont 49), Parkinson, Burrow (Ashcroft 75), Ashcroft (Parker 72), Bentley, Harrison
Wharfdale: Hodgson (Darwin 72), Davidson, Coulton, Cicognini, Hamilton, Verity, Gaudie, Dickinson, Collinson (Willis 64), Armstrong (Meehan 78), Stockton, Hedgley, Green (Fawcett 67), Markey (Beresford 58), Baldwin.