Fylde RFC hope it's seven up at Wharfedale

They make the journey, looking to extend an unbeaten start in National Two North: one of only three teams yet to taste defeat in the first month.

That record is on the line against a Wharfedale team with two wins from three so far, having beaten Tynedale last weekend.

While they were winning 24-22 at Station Road, Fylde withheld a late Billingham fightback for a 32-26 victory at the Woodlands.

Recent history is on Fylde’s side as they have won the last six meetings with tomorrow’s hosts, a run stretching back to March 2019.

If that record is to extend further, Fylde joint-head coach Alex Loney believes sticking to the basics will be crucial – especially given this week’s wet weather.

He told The Gazette: “There will be lots of teams who can turn over others.

"Whether you’re top, mid-table or towards the bottom, if you drop off, then you won’t get the result you want, which sharpens the mind week to week.

“We don’t go to Wharfedale fearful because we’ve managed to get some wins there over the years.

“We’re confident that if we get it right this Saturday – or any other Saturday – then we will cause teams problems.

“At the same time, we’re very mindful that if we drop our standards, then we won’t get the results we want.

“Looking back at history can give us some confidence but, on the day, it’s all about what happens on the pitch and we’ve got to get it done.

“We don’t know what conditions will be like, though we’ve had some serious rain this week!

“Nevertheless, if the pitch is heavy or not, we still have to get the performance right, which means we always try and stick to the fundamentals.

“We have a gameplan but, whatever type of game we’re going to get, it’s all about the fundamentals and we have to be on top of those.”

If the first three games are anything to go by, then a highly competitive campaign looks in the offing.

The top two, Leeds Tykes and Rotherham, are the only teams to have won all three matches with Fylde in third after their draw with Sheffield Tigers on day one.

Only five points separate the Tykes, the early leaders, from sixth-placed Hull Ionians, while Wharfedale are a further point back in seventh alongside the Tigers.

While happy with their start, Loney was only too keen to reiterate the Woodlands squad is three games into a 26-match season.

“To be unbeaten is nice but it’s still very early days,” he maintained.

“Only three unbeaten teams after three games shows how competitive it is.

“We’ve got nothing but respect for the teams in this league, so it’s far too early for anyone to really know how the league is going to shape up just yet.

“At the moment, we’re just trying to focus on ourselves and getting the results right.

“That will dictate what happens throughout the season and how the league table will eventually look.”