A side resist late rally
MAYFIELD A team welcomed Latchford Albion to Mayfield Rugby Club on Saturday for a top off the table clash in The North West Men’s Rugby League Division 1, and, despite a late scare, the local lads gained a well deserved victory and two valuable league points.
Mayfield opened strong – forwards Joe Muir and Mark Biggins smashing into the visitors on attack and defence, and after a tough and tight opening 10 minutes, livewire hooker James Ainsley took advantage from dummy half for a smart try. Zac Hartley goaled for 6-0.
A couple of minutes later Mark Biggins did all the work himself and crashed over under the posts for a try, goaled for a 12-0 lead.
Latchford defended hard and kept Mayfield at bay despite rotated props Sean Mulcahy and Sean Hurley continuing the legal assault on anything that moved in a Latchford shirt.
With half time looming Ieuan Higgs the opportunity to extended the lead with a well taken drop goal for 13-0.
The second half saw Mayfield again smash the Latchford forwards and strong defence from Paul Reilly and Matty Chrimes gained good field position and James Ainsley again scooted in from close range. Hartley missed the conversion.
At 17-0 Mayfield were cruising and were just held up over the line.
Latchford tried to hit back and charged the full length of the field, but James Ainley grabbed a loose ball, and five plays later Jack Rush crashed over from a neat over off drop off for 23-0.
Mayfield seemed to have the game in the bag but the official then started to find fault in everything they did.
Penalty followed penalty, Sime warranted, some not and Latchford hit back, scoring two converted tries for 23-12.
James Ainley settled the nerves with a try on the line feom dummy half with the defences attention on runners Joe Muir, Sean Mucahy, Sean Hurley and Mark Biggins. The conversion made it 29 points to Mayfield and that proved just enough despite two further late tries to the visitors.
Despite the late laspes, Mayfield were strong across the park and good value for the win in another great game at Mayfield Rugby Club.
John Foy, Tom Fitzgerald, Joe Schofield, Matty Chrimes, Luke Hartley, Ieuan Higgs, Zac Hartley, Mark Biggins, James Ainley, Joe Muir, Macaulay Donnelly, Jack Rush, Rob Kershaw, Sean Mulcahy, Sean Hurley, Lee Bradley, Paul Riley.
Mayfield’s first team suffered a narrow defeat in Cumbria at second in the league Egremont.
The game was spoiled as a contest after just five minutes when a careless tackle by Mayfield’s captain Paul Brearley sparked an over-reaction from the home side (including non players) and the official shocked all present by sending off two Mayfield players, one Egremont player and the Egremont coach!
From then in the game descended in farce as the official continued to over read every incident and red carded a further Mayfield player – now down to ten players – and handed out sin-bins for fun.
Mayfield refused to give in though and earned the moral high ground with a sterling display to go down by 28-24.
Points are what they need though in the battle for survival in the Premier division – starting on Saturday against visitors West Hull.