Loughborough Students 32 Fylde RFC 30: Woodwork denies Fylde a draw in nine-try thriller

Fylde have tended to win handsomely on artificial pitches this season but there’s something in the air at Loughborough University that doesn’t suit them – this was Fylde’s sixth successive defeat there.

It was also Fylde’s third defeat in four National Two North games and now a rampaging Hinckley are breathing down their necks after nine straight wins in the race for runners-up spot and an end-of-season promotion play-off. Fylde have a four-point advantage thanks to their two bonus points from this game.

The Students started the match at pace and took just three minutes to open the scoring.

Openside flanker Finlay McBrearty, who was a thorn in Fylde’s side throughout, broke clear to score a good try wide out on the right.

Goal-kicking fly-half Tom Ffitch was unable to add the conversion in the windy conditions but did make it 8-0 with a penalty on 16 minutes.

Two minutes later Ffitch ghosted through some weak tackling to race 40 metres for a fine try under the posts and his conversion stretched the lead to 15 points.

Fylde began belatedly to warm to their task as their forwards started to dominate proceedings.

They earned possession deep in the Students’ half in the 25th minute and Smith converted a straightforward penalty. A second five minutes later reduced the deficit to 15-6.

Fylde head coach Warren Spragg had highlighted Students winger Joe Browning as a dangerous runner and he was proved right in the 34th minute, when Browning pinned back his ears and raced through for his side’s third try.

Ffitch was unable to add the extras but Fylde needed a lifeline, which arrived in the last minute of the first half.

Lock Jacob Conner was on the end of serious pressure by the visiting pack to claim Fylde’s first try.

Smith converted very well from wide out and at 20-13 the half-time deficit looked less daunting for Fylde.

However, the Students began the second half in the best possible way, and in the 42nd minute a slick move cut through the Fylde defence for flanker McBrearty to score his second try.

Goalkicking was a hazardous venture in a strong, cold wind, with occasional snow flurries, and Ffitch was unable to convert.

The Fylde scrummage was dominant throughout and they camped deep inside the Students’ 22, winning a series of penalties.

This resulted in yellow cards for Loughborough’s John Woodward and, just a minute later, for hero-turned- villain McBrearty.

Fylde opted for another scrummage and this time referee Carl Adams’ patience ran out as he awarded a penalty try, bringing Fylde back within striking distance at 25-20.

With the hosts still down to 13 players, Fylde’s pack pressure resulted in the outstanding David Fairbrother driving over for a try on 59 minutes.

Fylde were level but the conversion attempt was wide out and Smith was unable to give his side the lead.

Back to 15 players, the Students scored a crucial fifth try in the 65th minute, when replacement scrum-half Tom Walsh nipped through some more fallible Fylde tackling to score near the posts. Ffitch added the conversion for a 32-25 lead.

Fylde battled back into the Students’ half with another series of scrums. On 73 minutes they drove the Loughborough pack backwards at a rate of knots and Fairbrother controlled the ball well for his second try and Fylde’s fourth, sealing a bonus point.

The unlucky Smith’s attempted conversion bounced back off a post and the Students were able to hold on to their 32-30 lead for a deserved victory.

Fylde head coach Warren Spragg said: “We gifted Loughborough four tries through our own mistakes and ended up paying the price for it.

“While our scrum was extremely dominant, we didn’t manage to impose our usual style of play and adapt tactically to the best way to win, which would have been to kick and force Loughborough to play from deep.

“But to take two points out of the game and still be in with a chance of winning with the last play is something we probably didn’t deserve.

“It shows that we’ve got the fight that is necessary to keep pushing towards our goal, even when things aren’t going well.”

A defeat for fourth-placed Sedgley Park was another bonus for Fylde. Their conquerors Luctonians are Saturday’s visitors to Fylde, who play four of their remaining six games at home.

FYLDE: Wilkinson; Carleton, Briers, Rawlings, Grimes; Smith, Lanigan; Horner, Gregory, Lewis, N Ashcroft, Conner (Garrod 69), Vernon (Chapman 40), Mills, Fairbrother. Replacements not used: M Ashcroft, Stephenson, Forster.