The Blackpool Gazette’s Andy Moore speaks to Fylde Jnt Head Coach Alex Loney ahead of Saturday’s big game at the Woodlands (ko 15.00). [Reproduced courtesy of the Gazette]
Recent sky-high scorelines in National Two North suggest spectators could be in for a try-scoring treat when second-placed Darlington Mowden Park visit Fylde RFC this Saturday (3pm).
Both won last weekend in matches which produced 174 points and 25 tries in total. Alex Clayton’s last-minute try sealed a 43-39 success for Fylde at Wharfedale, while DMP were dispatching Preston Grasshoppers 57-35.
N2N’s lowest-scoring clash on Saturday saw 48 points scored (at Sheffield Tigers), with all the others producing at least 65 and four games topping 80.
While team bosses may prefer to see more rewards for their defensive coaching, Fylde’s Alex Loney says that winning however you can is what matters most in such an entertaining league.
The joint-head coach told The Gazette: “High scores have been a theme in National League One and Two through the years, and it’s good for spectators to see so many tries scored. As a coach you just want to win and sometimes that has to be in a high-scoring game – and it’s always massive to win by just one try, which shows a lot of character.”
“Our game at Wharfedale was a proper ding-dong as the scoreline suggests. The lead went back and forth, and both teams had periods putting the other under pressure. Both teams will be happy with the points they scored but will feel they conceded too many.”
“It’s pleasing just to get over the line at what is traditionally a hard place to go and to start this group of games with a win. There are things we’re a bit disappointed with but these are games you can come out on the wrong side of – like we did against Tynedale last time – so you have to be happy to take the win.”
The return of experienced forwards Greg Morgan and captain Toby Harrison was also most welcome for Fylde and Loney added: “The way this season has gone, we’ve been without players from the start. We always said we’d need the squad, and that will continue to be the case, but to get players back like Greg and Toby – who have played a lot of games – does make a big difference.”
Having lost to two of the top three at the Woodlands this season, Fylde welcome the chance to improve that record this Saturday. However, they face a DMP side who are on a seven-match winning run and have failed to reach 30 points only once.
Loney added: “We didn’t know what to expect from DMP at the start of the season. Obviously they have played in National One and are unique in our league because they play in a massive stadium (the 25,000-seater Darlington Arena), but they look like a very strong team at this level and one we want to test ourselves against.”
“You want to play well against these teams and a win would get us back into the mix.”