Uphill battle for Field as Fylde coast to win
HUDDERSFIELD had a day to forget on the road as Fylde produced a comprehensive display to claim a 40-10 victory.
The home side demonstrated emphatically to their visitors just why their season has started with such promise, showing a ruthless streak on the counterattack which Field simply could not find an answer to.
This trip always looked to be a tough fixture, and Field learnt exactly why the hosts had been so successful in their opening trio of fixtures this season one minute into proceedings, Adam Lewis receiving the ball close to the try-line and duly going over to give Fylde a perfect start.
Greg Smith added the conversion to give the hosts an early seven-point cushion, soon extended when the Toms combined as Grimes fed Carleton who crashed over, the only consolation for the stunned visitors being Smith’s failure to add the conversion onto this one.
Searching for a way back into the contest, Field applied significant pressure against Fylde within metres of their try-line which culminated in a penalty from a central position being easily dispatched by Will Milner to give the visitors a lifeline.
From this position Field looked well placed to press onwards and look to get more points on the board, but Fylde had other ideas. After Lex Botha swiftly regained possession and ran it deep into Huddersfield territory on the wing, he played a pass infield which just about reached Smith and he found Ben Gregory who crossed the try-line from inside the posts. Smith was this time left with the easiest of conversions to dispatch.
The second half unfolded with a familiar story – an early try scored by Fylde, this time through Connor Wilkinson down the wing, and Smith’s welltaken conversion left the visitors with a mountain to climb.
The mountain never really looked like being scaled despite a worthy effort from Field as Wilkinson pounced quickest for his second try and Fylde’s fifth of the afternoon, Smith’s conversion again proving to be effective.
Huddersfield’s misery was compiled when Alex Loney broke out of a Fylde maul and added another try for the hosts, an impressive display of kicking from Smith being backed up once more with another successful conversion.
Field managed to grab themselves a consolation try with the last action of the game, a well-worked maul of their own being sent over the try-line from Ross Thornton and Milner adding the conversion for Field.
However, the full-time whistle was blown immediately after Milner’s kick to give Fylde a comfortable victory on the day, a result which sees them move up to second in the National League 2 North table, whilst Huddersfield remain second from bottom after their first away defeat of the new season.
Next up for Field is the visit of bottom side Scunthorpe to Lockwood Park, a fixture which head coach Gareth Lewis and his players will be hoping can be used as a springboard to kickstart their campaign.