Mayfield match leaders’ quality
ON a perfect night for rugby league two quality sides produced an almost perfect game.
What a spectacle-this game had everything.
Right from the start both sides threw all they had at each other, Siddal starting like the league leaders they are, battering the Mayfield line with drive after drive and the two props looking especially dangerous.
Mayfield held out for seven minutes before the powerful centre stormed over for an unconverted score, 0-4.
The large home crowd feared the worst but Matt Calland’s side have points galore in them and it didn’t take long before Dec Sheridan produced a piece of individual brilliance on the last tackle to go over for a try, Hough converting for a 6-4 lead.
Mayfield then pressured the Siddal line looking for a chance to take the lead but the Yorkshiremen’s defence was outstanding as they repelled attack after attack.
James Connaughton, Aidan Gleeson and Sean Watkins ran their blood to water in hot conditions as they tried to cross the white wash and Mayfield were desperately unlucky as they lost the ball over the line.
A typical cheap penalty allowed Siddal possession and they forced their way up field with lightening quick play, catching Mayfield on the back foot to score under the sticks. The conversion was a formalityand the score was 6-10 at the break.
Mayfield made Siddal wait for the restart as Calland reiterated his game plan and strategy. From the start the home side moved the ball quickly but the Siddal line was impenetrable.
When in possession, the speed of the Siddal play was something to see and they caught Mayfield out again as they extended their lead with another score. Again the conversion was missed, making it 6-14.
The visitors’ tails were up now and many other sides would have capitulated at this point – but not Mayfield and not old head Sam Butterworth, who, at nearly fifty years of age, produced a bit of the old Butty magic to put Lewis Sheridan over to narrow the gap,
Zac Hartley slotted the conversion over to cut the visitors’ lead to two points at 12-14.
Butterworth was again instrumental, creating space with a neat little kick through that allowed Jack Sampson the opportunity to give his side the lead for the first time with the try of the game. Hartley converted, 18-14.
Mayfield were producing some brilliant rugby at this stage and looked a good bet to push on and inflict the first defeat of the season on Siddal.
The only blight on the Mayfield performance was the giving away of needless penalties which allowed Siddal easy yards and made Mayfield work extra hard in defence to counter the attacking flair of the league’s leading scorers.
The next score highlighted this as Siddal again worked up field after being given possession and, after a brilliant defensive stint from Connaughton, Lewis Sheridan and Zac Baker, managed to find a chink in the wall which they exploited on the last tackle to regain the lead at 18-20.
Mayfield were still in this one and fought back bravely, contributing every bit as much to this game as their unbeaten opposition.
But when an inexplicable refereeing decision was questioned too strenuously, Jack Sampson found himself in the sin bin.
Siddal immediately upped the pace of this already breathtaking game and found the gap in the Mayfield defence to increase the lead 18-24.
Again, many other sides would have been dead and buried, but not Mayfield. They produced the best rugby of the evening, pounding the Siddal line time and again and were unlucky not to score on a couple of occasions.
Then, with a couple of minutes to play, the Siddal full back – who had been superb all game – had a rush of blood. As he cleared a loose ball over the try line, he kicked the ball with such ferocity it looked like it would end up on Chadwick Lane, and it probably would but for Andy Taylor popping up and producing a brilliant catch.
He then sprinted 30 metres to cross in the corner making the score 22-24.
To get anything from this game, Zac Hartley had to convert from the touchline under enormous pressure. Cool as a cucumber he stepped up and slotted the ball right between the posts, 24-24 with a couple of minutes to play.
Not content with the draw, Mayfield pushed and pushed again as they tried to snatch the game.
Hough was unsuccessful with two drop goal attempts before Siddal put in a last gasp effort. As they broke down field the Mayfield fans’ hearts were in their mouths as the powerful centre looked like he was going to go all the way.
He figured without Hough though, who made the tackle of the game as he coolly stripped the ball leaving the attacker with his mouth open wondering what had happened.
Mayfield again headed upfield and this time zac Hartley was unlucky as his drop goal attempt was charge down.
At the final whistle it was agreed almost unanimously that the draw was the fair result.
This was a great performance from Mayfield with some brilliant individual shows,
Sam Butterworth and Chris Hough used their experience to steady the ship at vital times whilst at the other end of the age spectrum James Connaughton, Dec Sheridan and Callum Ogden were also outstanding.
But the stand out player for a display that was absolutely outstanding from start to finish was Paul Brearley.