Fylde RFC coach Alex Loney enjoys 'great day' as Woodlands stages first senior match for 15 months

It was an in-house contest, involving the players of the first and second XV squads, after scheduled friendlies against Blackburn were cancelled due to the recent rise in Covid cases.

The match fulfilled its purpose for the players and coaches, and was enjoyed by spectators attending the first senior game at the Woodlands since March 7 last year.

Joint-head coach Alex Loney told The Gazette: “It was a really good game played under adapted rules (no scrums or mauls). We’d have preferred to play Blackburn but it was really competitive.

“The lads enjoyed being back on the pitch and getting the minutes in their legs after a few weeks back in training.

“We got everything out of the game we wanted and it was a great day, with members coming down to watch.

“All the protocols were followed, with table service and a barbecue.”

After their entire 2020/21 league campaign was scrapped, the players began training for the first time this year when lockdown restrictions eased at the end of March.

They will now take a four-week break before pre-season training for 2021/22 begins.

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