Fylde RFC face another of National Two North's in-form teams

The first blank weekend of the campaign follows this clash between two of the four teams to have lost only one of their opening seven games and Fylde team boss Alex Loney is relishing the contest.

Fylde’s joint-head coach told The Gazette: “Tynedale are always tough opponents and have started this season very strongly. It’s the last game before the first mini-break and we’re desperate to go into it with a win at home over another of the top sides.

“It always looked like being a very competitive league. The table is still taking shape but you are already seeing a bit of a split and we want to stay in that top group.”

Unusually, Fylde have collected more points away than at home so far, making it three wins out of three on the road with Saturday’s 45-27 success at bottom club Scunthorpe.

Loney added: “We felt there were some sloppy bits, when we chucked the ball too much and gave them opportunities, but it was important that we scored right at the start because we knew they would be fired up after a heavy defeat.

“Credit to them for causing us trouble and scoring the points they did, but we needed the win to get back on track after the Sheffield game. If we want to maintain our ambitions for the season we have to keep winning.

“Playing away is an added challenge and to be 100 per cent away from home means we are travelling with confidence – and there are a couple of highlights in there with the wins at Macclesfield and in the derby at Preston.”

Fylde scored seven of the game’s 12 tries and were creative with a new half-back combination as Ben Gould got his chance at scrum-half alongside the returning Alex Clayton.

“Ben has been really patient and we wanted to give him a fair crack and big minutes in a game,” said Loney.

“We didn’t have Will Hunt but Alex is versatile and came in at 10. It’s good to have him back, he’s started a lot of games for us in the last 18 months and it’s important to have as many players as possible available.

“We take a lot of pride in managing unavailability, which will hit every team. Everyone has put their hand up and the number of players we’ve used already this season will hopefully stand us in good stead.”

Fifth-placed Fylde are four points behind Tynedale and 10 behind leaders Sheffield, who still have a perfect points tally and won 40-18 in the last game at the Woodlands.

Asked if the pacesetters were beatable, Loney replied: “The table would tell you they aren’t at the moment and Sheffield are flying.

“They fully deserved their win here but we were left kicking ourselves over key moments when we gifted them opportunities and didn’t take ours.

“If they are the best, we feel we can rub shoulders with them and there are some massive games to come later in the season.”