FYLDE 18 SHEFFIELD 40
Report by Will Judd
Fylde and Sheffield fought out a tight struggle on a dry day and a high quality Woodlands pitch but in the end league leaders Sheffield were clear and deserved winners taking maximum points to maintain their 100% league record. The Fylde squad battled bravely throughout as they suffered their first loss of the 2025-26 campaign which ended their impressive five game unbeaten run.
Fylde started the game positively, holding possession and slowly moving up the field with the help of a succession of penalties in their favour. After a couple of kicks to the corner but no success from the subsequent lineouts and pack drives, flyhalf Will Hunt took the pragmatic option to kick a penalty from pretty much in front the posts in the 6th minute giving his side an early lead.
But this was not to last as Sheffield slowly took control of the game. On 15 mins prolific scrum-half Elliot Fisher dived over after a scrum maul, Sheffield’s best outlet all game. Despite the try being in the far-right corner, Callum Posa struck his first conversion of the afternoon.
Eight minutes later and Fisher was in again, with a carbon copy try this time in the left-hand corner. No conversion this time, but the lead was firmly set at 3-12. Fylde’s cause wasn’t helped by a serious looking ankle injury to dangerous winger Leo Gilliland in the 33rd min. He was replaced by Adam Lanigan.
Despite this setback there was a reprise by Fylde as Sheffield winger Cameron Catleugh was sin binned for a high challenge in the 35th min, a dip into the pocket from Referee Andrew Shaw. This allowed Fylde to finish off a ‘tap and go’ near the try line with prop Corey Bowker getting on the scoresheet and giving the Woodlands hope of a comeback at 8-12 down.
Unfortunately, this was not to be as in the final minutes of the half Fylde switched off in defence and allowed Sheffield winger Chris Hooper, leading try scorer in N2(N), to breeze past all in Fylde colours. This restored Sheffield’s lead going into half time at 8-19.
Once again, the home side started the 2nd half well, this time picking up a try within five minutes of the game restarting. It was Ben Turner on the right wing who finished a nice tap and go routine after a clever pass had put him clear. Again, there was no conversion for Fylde but they had reduced the deficit to six points. This turned out to be the closest they would be for the rest of the game as Sheffield seized all momentum, when it seemed as though everything went their way.
Just after 50 minutes Fisher completed his hattrick for the visitors, another try spawned out of untypical sloppy Fylde defence.
This was followed up just after the hour mark by the unstoppable Fisher again, who must have gotten bored of his name being called over the PA system by this point. His 4th try was set up by a neat pass from his teammate which set him free to dive over the posts. Back-to-back Posa conversions left Sheffield with a comfortable 13-33 lead which was never challenged.
It seemed as though whenever Fylde would score, Sheffield would hit back almost immediately, whether that be down to contentious decisions or pure Sheffield brilliance. Never was this more relevant than after Matt Ashcroft scored Fylde’s final try of the game in the 65th minute, brilliantly muscling his way down the left wing to score a fine try in the left corner. Ashcroft, covering for three normal lock forwards who were absent, had an excellent game, carrying ball and driving time and again into the steadfast defence of the Steel Men, as did skipper and no 8 David Fairbrother.
Again, there was no conversion and once more any gains made by the try were lost when Sheffield scored with ten to go with replacement prop Alex Reid getting over the line after multiple penalties. To complete a fine afternoon for goalkicking fly-half Posa as his father Anthony, the Sheffield Head Coach, looked on from the sidelines, he maintained a 100% success rate by converting all six of his team’s tries.
The game was wrapped up by this point but that did not mean Fylde had stopped playing. The boys continuously banged on the Sheffield door for the remaining time in an attempt to salvage a four try bonus point. In the 78th minute, Sheffield’s replacement hooker Rhodri Campbell received a yellow card for foul play, the third YC of the afternoon for the Steel Men.
But it was not to be, as the visitor’s line defence was too well-drilled and Fylde were unable to penetrate, which left the game to finish at 18-40.
This result, their first defeat of the season, was for sure a tough pill to swallow for Fylde, but with suspensions and injuries hopefully to be turned around soon, as well as strong individual performances against Sheffield from players such as David Fairbrother, hooker Sam Parker, centre Sam Stott and stand-in lock Matt Ashcroft, it is not doom and gloom by any means.
Sheffield looked the force they have proven in the last two seasons, exemplified by a very strong pack and quick opportunistic backs who posed dangers throughout the match. They look at this early stage of the season promotion favourites unless, for instance, they suffer the crippling injury losses that have hit Fylde so far this campaign. The Lancastrians’ focus will be on the upcoming games beginning with a trip to bottom of the table Scunthorpe on Saturday as Briers’ and Loney’s men look to get back to winning ways.
Click here for Chris Farrow’s album of action photos.
FYLDE 15 Dorrington J; 14 Turner, 13 Cassidy, 12 Stott, 11 Gilliland (Lanigan 33); 10 Hunt (Clayton 60), 9 Maguire; 1 Bowker, 2 Parker (Sutcliffe 72), 3 King (Trippier 40), 4 Ashcroft, 5 Greenwood, 6 Quinn, 7 Dorrington B (Senior 68), 8 Fairbrother.
SHEFFIELD 15 Castledine; 14 Catleugh (Dawson 56), 13 Drennan, 12 Smith, 11 Hooper; 10 Posa, 9 Fisher; 1 Whitney © (Reid 26, Whitney 40, Reid 65), 2 Campbell, 3 Hicklin (Rogers 26, Hicklin 40, Rogers 72), 4 Crapper A, 5 Parsons, 6 Fawdry (Crapper F 62), 7 Redfern (Adcock 34), 8 Poole.
