FYLDE 33 SCUNTHORPE 36
Fylde lose a 25-point lead in the 2nd half against Scunthorpe to go down to their fifth game on the bounce: match report by Will Judd
The Woodlands crowd was desperate for a return to form on Saturday after Fylde’s recent struggles. And what better chance than a game against second from bottom Scunthorpe? With skipper Toby Harrison on the sidelines following his injury last week at Billingham, the leadership was in the capable hands of David Fairbrother who received a warm welcome from the crowd on his 201st appearance for the 1st XV.
Despite a wobbly opening with Fylde going three nil down thanks to a Will Dark penalty, they quickly took the game back after Will Hunt’s neat chip over the visitors’ defensive line and catch saw him score under the posts. Danny Cassidy converted for a 7-3 lead.
Scunthorpe took the lead back momentarily in the 15-minute with fullback Tom Davis converting a tap-and-go penalty to drive over. Fylde then stepped up a gear and
tries followed, initially from Will Greenwood in the 23rd minute, playing in the unusual position for him at flanker, for a 14-8 scoreline.
In the last minute of the half Adam Lewis rolled back the years as he drove over from close range. Each of these each try coming after phase after phase of battering down the Scunthorpe defence by the big Fylde forwards. By this time, replacement back Dan Slawson had taken over the goal kicking and as Fylde’s youngest player on the day converted the try scored by Fylde’s oldest, prop Lewis.
If there were a few warning signs for the home side at the breakdown when they had a struggle to retain possession, then the efforts of their pack, especially Sam Parker, playing flanker who was tackling like a Dervish (he was named MoM after the game), and sound scrummaging reassured the home supporters that they had sufficient control.
This left Fylde in a good position at half time at 21-8, with their game only improving after half time. However, between these tries in the 34th minute star back Danny Cassidy was stretchered off with a bad knee injury, an ominous sign for the remainder of the game. Danny has been an outstanding success in his first season at the Club and we all send him very best wishes for a speedy recovery
Only a handful of minutes into the second half though, the home side broke the defensive line and hurled toward another try. It was scrum-half Ben Gould the finisher and shortly afterwards in the 45th minute they were in again, only this time it was their fifth try and as it transpired their last, albeit in the best move of the match by either side. Winger Leo Gilliland created this one after his awesome collection of a low pass in midfield. His pace and a cheeky step was enough to break the line once again and he linked up with Hunt who went over to score his second try. Although Slawson missed the conversion from wide out on the right, he had shown himself to be a very able goal kicker through his two earlier efforts.
By now Fylde had a 25-point lead and were practically cruising, or so they thought. But this was the moment it went south for them, and quickly.
On the hour mark left winger Will Robinson was able to beat the tackle of fullback Ben Turner near the touchline an he cruised behind the posts for the visitor’s second try of the afternoon.
Only a couple of minutes later and the visitors were in again, this time via prop Dylan Martin driving over from close range to reduce the deficit to 33-22 after Heath-Drury’s conversion. By now Scunthorpe were beginning to blow Fylde away and you could sense nerves from around the ground.
The nerves, and indeed the frustrations, were only increased when with ten minutes to play Scunthorpe scored again after multiple penalties in the Fylde 22. It was lock Dan Gilbert who got this one, muscling over the line in impressive fashion. After the conversion Scunthorpe were somehow only within four points of a result.
So with five minutes to play the inevitable happened. Another line break took the visitors to within 10m of the Fylde tryline and with penalty advantages flying everywhere due to Fylde’s desperate defence, prop Jordan Beresford powered over to the roars of his team to secure the lead. After Will Dark’s conversion, the game was left at 33-36 which is where it would end, despite Fylde’s desperate attempts to run the ball from well within their own half.
Whilst for the neutral observer, this was an exciting ending of the game but was yet another disappointing result for Fylde, especially considering the lead which they had with only 20 minutes to play. However, full credit does need to be given to the visitors who all showed a gutsy display and a ‘never give up’ attitude.
It doesn’t get easier for Fylde in the next week though as they visit third place Tynedale which will be a tricky venue to finally get back to winning ways. There will no doubt be a serious post mortem amongst Fylde’s coaches and players following the implosion in the last 20 minutes. Despite this, they retain 6th place in the National Two (North) division.
Click here for Chris Farrow’s album of action photographs/
FYLDE: Turner; Gilliland, Cassidy (Slawson 34), Forster, Dorrington; Hunt, Gough; Bowker (Rudkin 64), Williamson (Trippier 40), Rudkin (Lewis 29), Morgan (Greenwood 64), Garrod, Greenwood (Quinn 29), Parker (Ashcroft 64), Fairbrother.
SCUNTHORPE: Davies; Talbot (O’Meara 34), Dark, Heath-Drury, Robinson; Taylor (Horner 57), Mowbray; Martin, Arnold, Dale (Beresford 34, Dale 66)), Elliott (c) (Mychailuk 56), Gilbert, Payne, Dyson, Hyde (Rendall-Tyrrell 54).