Fylde RFC 22 Billingham 12: Opening half fits the Bill nicely

Facing a Billingham side which had won its previous three games, Fylde flew out of the blocks and led 7-0 within five minutes.

Freddie Reader received the ball and broke through the defence with ease to score Fylde’s first try and give Will Hunt a simple enough conversion.

Five minutes later, Adam Lanigan produced a similar line break and outmuscled the last defender in wrestling his way over the line.

It capped a dream start for Fylde, who had established a 12-point lead with only 10 minutes of the match gone.

Billingham then got into the game and began to pressure Fylde, camping in their 22 for phase after phase.

However, some superb line defence ensured two possible tries were held up: a defensive effort which was rewarded by Hunt.

After receiving the ball on halfway, and with limited options, he neatly found Lanigan who promptly returned the pass before contact.

Having gone around the back of the resulting maul, Hunt then squeezed over for a brilliant individual try and a 17-point lead.

Then, with half-time looming, Billingham deservedly got some points on the board as prolonged pressure finally resulted in a try for Ben Walton.

Leading 17-5 at the break, Fylde re-established their 17-point advantage as Ben Dorrington scored a well-worked team try.

The scoreboard did not tell the full picture of the match as Billingham were knocking on the door to change that.

They were eventually able to break down the Fylde defence as a Dorrington challenge was deemed to have denied a clear tryscoring opportunity.

A penalty try was awarded and Dorrington went from hero to zero as he was inevitably sinbinned for his actions.

Even though there was still half an hour left to play, that turned out to be the final score of the game.

Fylde came close when the referee blew his whistle, denying prop Pete Altham an acrobatic assist – much to the disappointment of the crowd.

Billingham’s pack was resolute throughout with their huge props, Dan Dixon and Adam Brown, always featuring in the loose and tight exchanges.

Lively lock Ben Walton had a head to head against his brother, Mike, who has had a very successful first season for Fylde.

Tensions began to boil over as Hunt was involved in an altercation after some argy-bargy in the ruck, picking up a yellow card as his punishment.

A disappointing second-half display saw Fylde under pressure for the remainder of the game, but they remained strong and scraped over the line in claiming victory.

The win kept them in fourth position, 10 points behind Lymm and seven ahead of Tynedale going into the last two matches of the season.

This weekend brings a visit to Wharfedale before the final game at the Woodlands when second-placed Sheffield are the visitors at the end of April.

Fylde RFC: Reader, J Dorrington, Clayton, Stott, Lanigan, Hunt, Gaughan; Bowker, Richardson, Altham, M Walton, Morgan, Harrison, B Dorrington, Fairbrother. Replacements: King, Davis, Rudkin, Turner, Smith.

Billingham: Husband, Scarborough, Groark, Wilson, Horner, Evans, Lane; Brown, Graham, Dixon, B Walton, White, Burns, Campbell, Jackson. Replacements: Headlam, Beadling, Armstrong, Hill, Rickard.