FYLDE vs TYNEDALE: report by Will Judd
Just one week on from Fylde’s impressive and form-shifting win against powerhouse championship contenders Lymm, the boys were back at the Woodlands ready to make it two impressive victories in a row and in front of another big crowd of just over 1,000.
The competition? A fierce, physical and well drilled Tynedale outfit who, before the game, had won eight of their previous eleven fixtures. This was going to be a far different affair to the reverse fixture this season which saw Fylde cruise to victory at Tynedale Park.
Tynedale reminded Fylde of their impressive form only four minutes into the game, when an attempted clearance kick by Freddie Reader was charged down. This allowed the visitors to break the Fylde defensive ranks, eventually being touched down in the hands of winger Alex Drydon in the far-right corner thanks to a superb cross field kick. The conversion by centre Cam Grant was good and Fylde had work to do early on.
This started almost immediately when a clever lineout routine allowed lock Matt Garrod to give the cheekiest of dummies and he scored easily down the right. Fylde’s maul was working well; unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for Will Hunt’s goal kicking as the first of four conversions was missed.
Nevertheless, Fylde pushed on and with the Woodlands in full voice for a driving maul, hooker Rob Williamson was able to squeeze over the line after a monumental effort, his first ever try for the Club.
The try gave the home side the lead at 10-7 for the first time in the match 20 minutes in, but on the half-hour mark it swapped round again.
Joe Hanning stretched over the Fylde line defence after an utterly dominant lineout maul from the visitors. The tricky conversion was missed but nevertheless the lead was theirs by two.
However, it was this point in the game where referee Alex Powdrell came into the spotlight. A no-arms challenge on Lewis Quinn was missed and combined with the denial of a clear try-scoring opportunity at the end of the half being waved away as just a penalty, without a card or penalty try, the players and fans alike were beginning to get restless.
Before the controversial end to the half however, a card was eventually handed to Tynedale’s No 8 Owen Vassello until the second half. Despite this though, it was the first and only time the dangerous tackles were penalised with a card.
Fylde went into half time with a 10-12 deficit and immediately they set about overturning it in the second period. Some pinpoint passes ripped open the defence and opened the gap for Reader to score his 11th try of the season finishing a well worked team combination down the left touchline. Hunt was successful from the tee and the home side had a five-point advantage.
Ten minutes after their early second half try and they were in again, this time replacement winger Cam Smith muscling his way over the line in the corner with quite literally his first touch of the ball.
The Woodlands army was loud and Fylde were suddenly pressing towards victory. Another yellow for Tynedale, this time to flanker Joe Hanning, preceded a Fylde scrum, culminating in a lovely miss pass by scrum-half Lewis Kincart which led to Adam Lanigan scoring in the left corner to put Fylde in the lead at 27-12.
With only 15 to play, a win by the visitors seemed out of reach but a losing bonus point was still an objective. Almost all the remaining play featured Tynedale on the attack, but some superb Fylde line defence denied them until in the final play of the game when centre Rhys Beekemans drove over the line. The drop kick conversion was taken quickly but there was no time for the visitors to add to their total and they missed out on their bonus by one point.
For Fylde however, it was two excellent victories against tough opponents in successive weeks. There may have been weak points in their game but it is beginning to appear as though Loney’s and Briers’ men have regathered their early season form.
A 27-19 victory was just what the doctor ordered and Fylde knew they were back in the saddle.
Click here for Chris Farrow’s action photo album.
Click here for a video of Fylde’s five tries.
FYLDE: 15 Reader; 14 Turner (Smith 54), 13 Clayton, 12 Forster, 11 Lanigan; 10 Hunt, 9 Kincart L; 1 Rudkin, 2 Williamson (Deeks 74), 3 Altham (King 74), 4 Walton (Morgan 69), 5 Garrod, 6 Quinn (Ashcroft 54), 7 Harrison, 8 Fairbrother.
TYNEDALE: 15 Rodgers (Tully 64); 14 Dryden (Scott 56), 13 Grant, 12 Beeckmans, 11 Hutton; 10 Leslie, 9 Telford; 1 Hughes (Turnill 46), 2 Keller, 3 Caudle, 4 McSorley, 5 Nankivell (Wearmouth 50), 6 Hanning, 7 Turnbull, 8 Vassallo (Nankivell 64). Non-playing replacement: Wood.
