Hull Ionians 32 v Fylde 35: match report by Simon Taylor
Fylde picked up both their first away win and first back-to-back wins of the season with a bonus point victory at Hull Ionians. They outscored the hosts 5 tries to 4 and deserved their win, even if it was a roller coaster ride that was in doubt to the very end.
After racing into a 14-0 lead after just 7 minutes, and then spurning some good chances to extend that lead further, Fylde were pegged back in a see-saw battle where the leads changed hands 6 hands, until speed king Freddie Reader’s second try of the game on 69 minutes finally settled the contest, although not without a last-minute scare. Great entertainment for the fans, but no doubt grey-hair inducing stuff for coaches Alex Loney & Chris Briers.
Fylde raced out of the blocks, literally, when from a scum in the Fylde half the Hull winger decided to show Freddie Reader the outside in just the second minute, not a wise move. Reader skinned, him, swerved round the last man and raced in to touch down for a fine 75m try. Young stand-off Patrick Bishop started where he left off last week, nailing the conversion on a day when he would kick 5 from 5, and Fylde were 7-0 up.
That became 14-0 in quick time as Matt Garrod stole the home team’s line out ball and 2 phases later a loose bouncing ball saw Alex Clayton swoop, take advantage of a dog-legged defence and race in for the try, Bishop converting from wide out for 14-0.
Ionians were struggling to cope, and Fylde had chances to go for the jugular, one after another excellent Reader line-break, but they failed to finish these off, and Ionians gained a toehold. From their first meaningful possession in Fylde’s 22, they swept the ball right and their ever-present points scoring machine Lewis Minikin exploited a gap, touched down, and converted his own try. Ionians were back at 14-7, had stemmed the tide, and ignited their self-belief.
Fylde failed to capitalise on another line-break, this time by Clayton, as a loose off-load caused a knock on and allowed Ionians to exit up field. Quick ball allowed Ionians to get a mismatch in the defence and winger Will Yates touched down wide left. Minikin couldn’t add the extras but did knock over a 35th minute penalty and suddenly Ionians had their noses in front at 15-14, when they had well and truly been under the cosh in the first quarter.
Fylde got back to basics, put some good phases together and forced a penalty which Bishop kicked to 5 yards out. Garrod secured ball and Sam Stott ran a hard line that Ionians did well to halt just short of the line. The reprieve was temporary, as debutant hooker Tom Davis, just 18 and on loan from Sale Sharks, took the next ball, showed a neat step and powered his was over for Fylde’s third try. Bishop’s conversion was the last act of a breathless first half and Fylde trooped into the sheds back in front at 21-15.
Cam Smith replaced Jordan Dorrington at half time to make his debut, but Fylde made a slow start to the second stanza, and just 2 minutes after the re-start the home centre Josh Britton carried hard and straight from 22 out, bursting through 3 tackles to score. Minikin converted, and Ionians were back in front 22-21. Not for long though, as Fylde took just 2 minutes to reply. Skipper Toby Harrison, returning to lead his team after a week out with a knock, ran a fabulous line to burst through in midfield, Fylde recycled well and Mike Walton continued his fine start to the season with a powerful carry of his own, crashing over for the try, Bishop converted, and Fylde were once again ahead 28-22.
There now followed 15 minutes of parry and thrust as defences on both sides, which had been very porous at times, tightened up for a while. Sam Stott’s excellent jackal penalty 15 out allowed Fylde to snuff out one dangerous attack, but they were not helping themselves with some inaccuracies creeping in. Ionians made a mess of their own line out in Fylde’s 22, but Fylde knocked the loose ball on. From the scrum Ionians ran a move in the back line and the wily Minikin created enough wiggle room to squeeze through for his second try, which he duly converted, and, you guessed it, the lead, like a hot potato, had changed hands again, 58 minutes gone and the I’s 29-28 up.
Fylde now had a bad 5 minutes. First, after a team warning for high tackles, the referee had no option but to yellow card Dave Fairbrother when the next one was spotted. Off to the naughty step went Fairy, and the offence was within range of goal. It looked like Fylde had escaped further punishment when Minikin’s attempt hit the post, but in the exit Fylde gave Minikin another chance by conceding a penalty at the breakdown. Having had a sighter from virtually the same spot, Minikin was dead eye with the second one, and the lead had stretched out a smidgeon more, to 32-28.
Fylde, a man down, and behind on the scoreboard, knuckled down and forced their way into the Ionians 22 on the back of several penalties, with home skipper Joe Makin following Fairbrother to the bin. Fylde tested the goal line defence this way and that and finally created enough space for Reader to squeeze in the corner wide out, Bishop’s best kick of the day adding the extras and Fylde had wrestled the lead back at 35-32 in this topsy turvy tussle.
The last 10 minutes saw Fylde create 2 gilt edged chances to put the game to bed. Substitute Greg Morgan was the latest in a long line of players on the day to burst through in midfield from deep. Had either team managed to convert these chances that they created the score could have resembled a basketball game, but Ionians managed to snuff this one out as well. Cam Smith was then put in space after a neat break by Alex Gaughan and raced for the corner, only for his heel to be knocked into tough by a wonderful last-ditch tackle by Sam Pocklington, just when it looked like there would be a second debutant try.
Ionians had one last chance in the final minute. From a scrum on their own 22 they went blind and Minikin made the last defence splitting break of the day. He surged into Fylde’s half only for Sam Stott to track back and haul him down. Quick ball would have seen Fylde in trouble, but skipper Harrison had worked hard to get back and his excellent steal at the breakdown allowed Fylde to compose themselves, pick and go for a few phases, then let Bishop boot the ball out as time ran out.
Any away win in this league is worth celebrating, Fylde deserved this win, although it could have been more comfortable than it was. Ionians fought back well, were well worth their 2 bonus points, and could have nicked it. No 8 George Mewburn on his 100th game for the home team was as solid as ever, the home player of the match Lewis Minikin was as always, a constant threat with his experience and rugby smarts, but Fylde’s new look squad found a way to get over the line, showing great character.
Tom Davis was named Fylde’s man of the match by Ionians, and well deserved, he carried and tackled hard, was accurate in the loose and the set-pieces, and Fylde will hope to be able to hang on to him for as long as possible, given how hard it has been to fill the previous incumbent Ben Gregory’s shoes.
Cam Smith on debut can be proud of his first 40 in a Fylde first XV shirt, Bishop is growing in confidence and the new faces are all showing more and more each week as they get used to each other and the way the coaches want the team to play. There appear to be some defensive patterns that need some fixing, not surprising given there are so many new faces and regular changes in the centre pairings, but these things can be fixed. There is no doubting the attacking weapons Fylde have when get into their flow and stay accurate.
Coach Chris Briers said, ‘Today was a great bonus point win at a difficult place to get one. It would have been nice to have done it with more comfort, we left some chances out there, I think the lads are trying to test my nerves maybe. When we do maintain control and put these chances away, we’ll put a big score on someone. There were a lot of positives, we are building and getting better every week and will look to maintain that next week and going forward.’
Fylde are now 3 wins from 5 and up to 5th in the table in the early days of the season. In the next 3 weeks they face the bottom 3 teams, Sheffield Tigers, Harrogate and Tynedale, who have not yet managed a win between them. 2 of those are away from home, which will be tough, but they have a great chance to maintain the momentum of the last 2 games, and end October in a healthy position.
Click here for video coverage of Fylde’s five tries.
Fylde: Reader (Clayton 76), J. Dorrington (Smith), Clayton (Atherton 60), Stott, Turner, Bishop, Gaughan, Harrison (Captain), Fairbrother, Quinn (Morgan 60), Garrod, Trippier (Altham 29/Tripper 73), Davis, Bowker
Unused Sub; Rudkin
Ionians: Minikin, McDaniel (Kirk 29), Rimmington (Burnhill 13), Britton, Yates, Smith, Pocklington, Edwards (Morton 45), Stephenson (Edwards 71), Melhuish (Thundercliffe 23), Makin (Captain), Sanderson C. (Fofie 51), Hudson (Sanderson 71), Sanderson J., Mewburn