Sheffield Tigers 26 Fylde RFC 33: Fylde make it three straight wins
Fylde picked up their second successive road trip win – and their third victory on the trot – as they shaded another tight tussle at Dore Moor.
Two fine tries from Ben Turner bookended touchdowns by Corey Bowker, Lewis Quinn and Patrick Bishop, who added four conversions as Fylde gained five points and moved up to fourth in National Two North.
Playing with the slope – but into a stiff wind – Fylde started well, dominating possession and territory in the first quarter.
However, resolute and steely defence saw the hosts repel their attempts to break them down with the game scoreless approaching the half-hour.
Back-to-back penalties then gave the Tigers a free ride up the field, which culminated in a penalty, a scrum and a try for Tom Calladine, converted by Will Baker.
Trailing 7-0, Fylde hit the player in the air at the restart and conceded another penalty from which it looked like the Tigers had created an overlap.
Turner read the long pass and his gamble paid off as he intercepted and raced 70 yards for Fylde’s first score to leave them 7-5 adrift.
A loose carry near Fylde’s 22 then gifted the ball back to the Tigers, whose scrum-half Ryan Holmes went under the posts with Baker’s conversion making it 14-5.
Back came Fylde as they forced a lineout which ended with Bowker crashing under the posts and Bishop converting.
There was still time for one more try right on half-time, one which saw Fylde take the lead.
After a strong break from skipper Toby Harrison, Fylde recycled the ball and Bishop went through a gap to score with his conversion putting them 19-14 up.
Fylde went further ahead on 48 minutes, when the ball was moved wide for Quinn to score with Bishop converting from the touchline.
Three unanswered tries meant Fylde now led 26-14 but, if they thought that was it, they were made to think again.
The Tigers forced Fylde into touch in their own half on 64 minutes and, from the lineout, a neat move ended in a try at the corner for Will Wallace.
They struck again two minutes later when, playing with a penalty advantage, they created space on the edge and Jamie Broadley went under the posts.
Baker converted to make it 26-26 but, with the Tigers’ tails now up, they kicked one penalty dead and misfired at a couple of lineouts in Fylde’s 22.
Having won a penalty of their own, Fylde moved upfield with Bishop and Sam Stott combining to send over Turner for his second try.
Bishop converted to restore Fylde’s seven-point lead as they led 33-26 with seven minutes left.
The Tigers launched a late series of assaults on the Fylde line, forcing penalties, a team warning and then a yellow card for Dave Fairbrother.
The last action saw Tigers’ Josh Redfern pound towards the line, only for Stott to get his hands on the ball, hold firm and win a penalty which Bishop sent out of play.
Sheffield Tigers: Wager, Goatley, Broadley, Manderfield (Long), Norman, Baker, Holmes, Calladine (Monks), Redfern, Wallace, Hawksworth, Fitzsimons, Bingham, Archer (Townsend), Bennett (Smith).
Fylde RFC: J Dorrington, Turner, Stott, Clayton, Smith (Atherton), Bishop, Gaughan, Fairbrother, Harrison, Quinn (B Dorrington), Garrod (Morgan), Walton, Altham (Trippier, Davis, Bowker. Not used: Williamson.