Scunthorpe 27 v Fylde 45: match report by Simon Taylor
Fylde bounced back from their first defeat of the season at home to Sheffield a week ago to maintain their 100% away record with a second successive road trip win at Scunthorpe, as they outscored the hosts by eight tries to five. The home team have not managed a win yet on their return to this level of rugby and were badly mauled last time out at Hoppers. However, they gave a much better showing this week and deserved to pick up a try bonus point.
Fylde were forced into yet more changes due to injuries and unavailability, missing Leo Gilliland, Will Hunt, Sam Parker, Max Senior and both Jordan and Ben Dorrington from the squad a week ago. They were able to welcome Chris Rudkin back to the front row, Olly Trippier moved to hooker with Rob King completing the front row. Mike Walton was still missing but brother Ben was back partnering Will Greenwood in the second row. Dave Fairbrother skippered again from number eight with Toby Harrison still confined to water boy duties, Lewis Quinn and Mr Versatile Matt Ashcroft were either side in the back row. Ben Gould got a start at scrum half with the other Mr Versatile, Alex Clayton, at 10, Sam Stott and Danny Cassidy continuing to build their centre partnership. Kyle Macaulay came in on the wing with Adam Lanigan on the other, Ben Turner moving to full back. Corey Bowker and Gabe Maguire rotated on to the bench for a rest from starting duties, joined by Tom Forster, James Sutcliffe and Ashton Kasam-Sharples who featured in his first league matchday squad.
A game that was to prove fast and often frantic started in that vein as Scunthorpe knocked on from the kick off. From the scrum Alex Clayton ran a loop and sliced through, finding Ben Turner on his outside. With Kyle Macauley looking to have a clear run in the overlap was ignored. Fortunately, from the next phase, Danny Cassidy found skipper Dave Fairbrother for one of the shortest ranged tries he will ever score. Cassidy knocked over an unconventional looking conversion and Fylde led 7-0 in the first minute.
Scunthorpe then failed to kick 10 from the re-start gifting Fylde more possession and territory but a risky offload option went to ground, the first of quite a few if truth be told, and then two penalties conceded gave Scunthorpe their entry into the game. The home team worked their way up field, set up a catch and drive line out and prop Harry Wright crashed over. Scrum half Will Dark converted, Scunthorpe’s only kicking success all day, and the scores were level at 7 apiece.
Scunthorpe benefited from more penalties to set up shop in Fylde’s half again 5 minutes later and from the line out this time the ball was spun wide, a loop creating space for full-back Josh Lugsden to score in the right corner and Scunthorpe had the lead at 12-7. Fylde forced a penalty and line out close in themselves and Olly Trippier found his man, joined the maul, peeled off and forced his way over on 20 minutes to level the game, conversion missed. Ben Turner then made a break from deep and ran mazy lines, finding Ben Walton only for another offload to go astray, allowing Scunthorpe to clear for touch. From the line out Sam Stott ran a hard line, freed his arms and fed Cassidy who ran under the sticks and converted his own try, Fylde were back in front at 19-12 after 25 minutes, a lead they ultimately never relinquished. That lead became 24-12 on 29 minutes as five minutes of ‘keep ball’ pressure led to Matt Ashcroft forcing his way over.
The lead should have been stretched immediately as Turner made a long range break straight from the kick off and fed his support, only for an overlap to be ignored and a certain try was bombed as Scunthorpe scrambled back and cleared for touch. To make matters worse, Fylde had their line out ball pinched and Scunthorpe fashioned room for Will Dark to race clear and touch down, 24-17 when it really should have been 31-12. Fylde did manage to cross again before the break when they made enough of their offloads stick to force a penalty on the home 22. Ben Turner took a quick tap and go and just had the strength to reach out and dot down, Cassidy converted and Fylde had a 31-17 lead after a topsy turvy first half.
Fylde brought on Ashton Kasam-Sharples for Quinn at the break but started the second stanza stodgily. A knock on then a penalty gifted Scunthorpe another catch and drive line out close in and from the next phase second row George Elliott secured Scunthorpe a bonus point with their fourth try on 44 minutes to narrow the gap to 31-22. Fylde brought on Corey Bowker for Rob King and sought to put some sustained and accurate phases together to stretch away decisively. Kasam-Sharples showed his skills with a break and weaving run deep into the Scunthorpe 22, but an overlap was once again wasted at the next phase, before Ben Walton was held up over the line. Finally, pressure told and Sam Stott, lurking wide out right, took the final pass, bumped off two would-be tacklers and rounded nearer the posts, Cassidy converting for 38-22 after 50 minutes.
Fylde brought Tom Forster and James Sutcliffe on for Stott and Trippier, and there was a 15-minute spell when the scoreboard operator could at last have a rest. There was plenty of pressure and breaks from Fylde but knock-ons at the follow up phases let Scunthorpe off the hook, and they in turn, showed they could move the ball quickly and break from deep when they had the chance, especially when they were presented with turnover ball due to errors. One long range break and chip ahead was foiled by good cover defence from Danny Cassidy but more penalties led to a Scunthorpe line out in Fylde’s 22, and a neat move in the back line allowed Josh Lugsden to score his second try of the game wide left, 38-27.
With Ben Gould experiencing cramp Gabe Maguire was introduced on 70 minutes and just 3 minutes later he was on hand when a deft Alex Clayton chip over the home defence was gathered by Danny Cassidy who put Maguire clear from 20 out to scoot under the posts. Cassidy converted for 45-27 and that is how it finished as Fylde snuffed out one final long-range Scunthorpe attack and saw the game out.
This was a rather strange game, plenty of tries and adventurous play mixed in with a lot of errors and frantic play from both sides, structure not a high point on anybody’s agenda most of the time. This gave it the feel of a pre-season game, when players are just getting used to playing with each other and experimenting. The number of squad changes and injuries to both teams would partially explain that. It certainly made for entertaining stuff at times, but also plenty of head scratching for the coaches. It was a welcome change to see only one scrum penalty in a game, no yellow cards, and both teams play with adventure and be willing to fling the ball about, even if it did at times border on semi-reckless abandon.
Ben Turner was named Fylde’s Man of the Match for his dangerous and evasive running as he popped up all along the back line to good effect. Olly Trippier put in a solid shift at hooker and old heads Ben Walton, Sam Stott, Matt Ashcroft and Dave Fairbrother ran and tackled hard all day. Young gun Will Greenwood is becoming more evident as he gets more game time and Alex Clayton looked composed and assured as playmaker in Hunt’s absence. Chris Rudkin put in a commendable full 80 at prop to allow Corey Bowker to reduce his workload, Rob King put himself about with relish and Ashton Kasam-Sharples is another good young find by the coaching staff to add depth to a squad tested by the physicality of this league.
Fylde sit in fifth place on 25 points, and welcome fourth paced Tynedale to the Woodlands next week for a mouth-watering clash. After starting with five straight bonus point wins Tynedale lost away to Hull Ionians two weeks ago but edged out Hoppers this Saturday. Fylde will relish the challenge of leapfrogging them in the league table if they can secure a win, the challenge will be to keep the flair but tidy up the errors.
Click here for video coverage of Fylde’s 7 tries.
Fylde: Turner, Lanigan, Cassidy, Stott (Forster 60), Macauley, Clayton, Gould (Maguire), Fairbrother (Captain), Ashcroft, Quinn (Kasam-Sharples 40), Greenwood, Walton B, King (Bowker 46), Trippier (Sutcliffe 65), Rudkin
Scunthorpe: Lugsden, Leggate, Robinson, Pearce (Mowbray 29), Brunt (Taylor 21), Heath-Dury, Dark, Hyde (Rendall-Tyrrell 64), Dyson, Payne, Elliott, Longden (Gilbert 65), Wright (Martin 40), Arnold, Beresford