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DMPRFC  29  v  FYLDE RFC  29

DMPRFC 29 v FYLDE RFC 29

Lewis Johnston25 Oct 2014 - 16:28
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Today's man of the match was Mowdens Rob Conquest picked by Ladies Day Best Dress Helen Rea (Match reports attached)

Under the keen eye of the President of the Rugby Football Union, Fylde RFC stalwart and supporter Bill Beaumont, DMPRFC again suffered a last minute of normal time try to draw a game that again, they could have (should have, might have) won.

To Fylde's credit, they do possess some inventive and explosive backs, who more than kept them in the game, scoring a creditable five tries.

Their forwards, allegedly lacking first choice combatants, however, were no match at the set piece, where DMPRFC dominated all game.

Considering their respective positions in the league at the commencement of the game, with Fylde RFC in 2nd place and DMPRFC 13th, DMPRFC did not look any different to their visitors during the game and if anything Fylde may have been somewhat guilty of complacency. However that would be taking some gloss off a better all round performance by the hosts.

The game started well for DMPRFC, opening up with a penalty try after eight minutes, when a series of infringements at scrum time in the red zone, led the official under the posts for the score (5 - 0). The first of Garry LAW's 100% record for kicks on the day, was easy.

Fylde's response was almost immediate, when DMPRFC lost focus from the re-start and a visiting winger scored their first try, which went unconverted (7 - 5),

Three successive penalties for varying offences allowed Garry LAW to show his credentials, taking DMPRFC into a deserved lead up to 5 minutes before oranges (16 - 5). The visiting skipper saw yellow during this period, for a series of repeated infringements.

However, again from the re-start of the last penalty, DMPRFC lost focus and Fylde were in again for a try, which was converted (16 - 12).

Garry LAW was successful with another penalty just before the interval (19 - 12), but as the home players walked down the tunnel at the break, they would have felt aggrieved that despite all their possession,they were only 4 points up on their visitors.

Conversely, from literally two visits into the home half,their two tries kept them well in contention, only 4 points adrift.

Garry LAW continued with his immaculate display within 2 minutes of the re-start, but two well taken tries by Fylde RFC's backs, one of which was converted, put them into the lead as the game entered the final quarter (22 - 24)

Garry LAW was sin-binned at this time for a technical offence. .

The home forwards continued their dominance at the set piece and when a maul was brought down prior to crossing the line for a Score, the official again signalled a deserved penalty try (27 - 24). The conversion was easy for LAW (29 - 24).

A Fylde RFC replacement was sin-binned for causing the collapse and the crowd sensed a victory with only five minutes remaining.

To their credit, Fylde RFC fought back and levelled (29 - 29) with a disputed last minute try a minute from normal time and although the visitors had a chance to win it with the conversion and a late attempt at a drop goal, any further score would perhaps have been an injustice.

Fylde left the North East knowing that they certainly had been in a game and DMPRFC were left to rue another game where more possession should (would, could) have been turned into points.

Fylde RFC report also attached below:

Fylde had to work very hard against a tough, abrasive Darlington Mowden Park side on their first ever visit to the impressive 25,000 capacity Northern Echo Arena.

The Lancastrians were always behind, apart from a 11 minute spell in the 2nd half, and had to dig deep to pull a 29-all draw out of the hat with a very late Jordan Dorrington try. Chris Johnson had a chance to earn an unlikely win with the conversion which followed but his kick from the touchline drifted wide. They outscored their hosts by five tries to two but their weakened pack struggled against a powerful DMP eight. A draw was, overall, a fair end to a compelling game.

Right from the outset the visitors realised that they were in a real battle in the tight and loose exchanges. They got on the wrong side of the punctilious referee Tom Davis early on and in the 8th minute he awarded DMP a penalty try for a collapsed scrummage. Centre Gary Law converted for a 7-0 lead.

When Fylde gained decent possession their backs were constantly inventive and dangerous. They responded quickly in the 10th minute when winger Jordan Dorrington finished off a clever move by scoring wide out. It wasn't to prove an easy kicking day for ace goal kicker Johnson in windy conditions and his attempted conversion was wide.

Unfortunately for Fylde, they offended immediately in their own half and Gary Law extended the DMP lead to 10-5 with a penalty kick. In the 23rd minute skipper Evan Stewart was yellow carded for a technical offence and by now Law was warming to his task and punished the visitors once more by kicking the consequential penalty for a 13-5 lead.

A 7 man pack was increasingly under the cosh as a buoyant DMP pack bossed the scrums and the tight exchanges. Their cause wasn't helped when hooker Tom Burtonwood was forced off through injury. But Fylde responded with spirit and denied their opponents any further points until their skipper returned to the action. However, referee Davies continued to punish their misdemeanours and the string of penalties continued. Law kicked another successfully in the 34th minute to extend the DMP lead.

Fylde are never more dangerous when they look to be falling away in a game. It took them a minute to hit back with a good try by winger Warren Spragg and Chris Johnson added the conversion to bring his side right back in the contest at just 12-16 in arrears.

However, in the last minute of the half, the referee spotted more Fylde indiscipline and Law kicked his fourth successful penalty for a 19-12 lead at the interval.

It was more of the same early in the 2nd half and Gary Law was in kicking action once more in the 42nd minute with another successful penalty and a 21-12 advantage.

Law's 'kickfest' was interrupted in the 48th minute when he was sinbinned for ten minutes. With debutant Sale Sharks back Sam Bedlow replacing Richard Kenyon in the 51st minute, Fylde took advantage of the extra man with a crucial try. In the 54th minute it was centre Chris Briers' turn to be on the end of a neat move to get over the whitewash. Johnson's attempted conversion was charged down by DMP winger McTurk but the deficit was now just 17-22.

Fylde now had the bit between their teeth and introduced fresh legs with Jonny Wild & Mark Goodman replacing Colin Phillips & Ben Vernon. In the 63rd minute they took the lead for the one & only time in the game when the powerful Sam Bedlow found space to get over the line for his debut try. Johnson's conversion made the score 24-22 to the visitors.

The game was now tense and exciting as DMP raised their efforts cheered on by a noisy crowd. Disaster struck Fylde in the 72nd minute when they conceded a second penalty try and replacement flanker Goodman was sinbinned. Down by 29-24 and with 14 men, could the Lancastrians respond with one late effort?

In the 79th minute came the answer as Fylde camped inside the DMP 22m line. They worked the ball right and Dorrington grabbed his second try by scoring in the right corner. The young winger is proving a real 'find' in his first season as regular starter and is now towards the top of the N1 try scoring ranking with seven.

Head Coach Mark Nelson said: “We played some incisive and ambitious rugby and defended very well when DMP used their formidable pack to create attacking situations. The penalty tries were disappointing but the fact that we prevented any tries from them with ball in hand was very reassuring. Our tries were well constructed and a few started from our own 22m line. We were penalised a lot and we'll have to look carefully at that. It has to be remembered that DMP have a very strong and powerful front row which includes Falcon's legend Matt Thompson, Matt Shields & Gareth Nesbit and they put us under a lot of pressure. They certainly have the biggest pack we've met so far this season

(By courtesy of Fylde RFC website)



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