Fylde back to Winning Ways

Cinderford's pragmatic approach to ending this match ensured them two points in their survival battle. In injury time full back Michael Wilcox opted to kick the ball into touch rather than run it and  referee Andy Taylorson whistled time.  Wilcox - who had an outstanding game- could have tried one last attempt at a try which had it been converted would have  given Cinderford a remarkable win but instead he was clearly under orders to close the match down and take home two points for a four try haul in defeat.

Fylde looked more relieved than ecstatic about the win with their ability to conjour up some top tries at times blighted by some poor passing and inability to break the gain line.  The Fylde pack has seen better days with the penalty count on both sides one of the heaviest seen at The Woodlands this season.  As the National One table reads it looks as if  Cinderford battle for survival will now go to the wire with their games in hand now vital to their cause.

Comfortably placed Fylde were playing for pride and coach Mark Nelson was happy enough with the win and see his free running side passing the 100 tries for the season.  Nelson said afterwards:"The fact we have now scored 100 tries this season aqnd Ollie Brennand is one try away from topping the league individual try scoring table says a lot."

" We knew Cinderford would dog it out and they did.We tried to play our normal game and at times it was all a bit harum scarum but its another win.It was a shame for our scrum half.On his debut he gets sent off for a tip tackle that wasn't at this time he lasts three minutes before getting a bad knock."

Cinderford managed to ruin much of Nelson's game plan when home scrum half Jordan Dorrington had to leave the field after just three minutes with a facial injury when he was targeted for a big hit tackle.  Cinderford's game plan was simple enough-tackle everything that moved ,kick for safety out of their own half and then in attack let the forwards grind Fylde down with never ending pick up and go's prompted by scrum half Clive Stuart-Smith who clearly had the edge on Dorrington's replacement Martin Wallwork.

What Cinderford lacked was any cutting edge in midfield with both centres continually knocking on or being turned over in the tackle.  In the 22 nd minute a period of Cinderford pressure ended in a Fylde defensive blunder and on loan hooker Koree Britton picked up a loose ball and dived over under the posts for a try which Wilcox converted.

Cinderford didn't help their own cause when the referee lost patience with the persistaqnt offside of Will Keenan and he yellow carded the flanker.  At the next scrum Fylde  exerted pressure on the Cinderford put in and Britton could not control his strike.The ball came out of the side of the scrum and Fylde Number Eight Sam Beaumont picked up and fed winger Oli Brennand who went in at the corner.  Chris Johnson converted as he  did  two minutes later when flanker Steve McGinnnis ploughed through the Cinderford midfield and set up Brennand for his second try.

Cinderford re-asserted themselves in first half injury time with a try from second row Eddie King- a reward for his outstanding line out contribution throughout the game.

Two points behind at the interval Cinderford were still in it but a nondesdcript kick out of defence soon cost them dear as home full back Olly Viney took it on the full and steamed through  from fifty yards out for a lovely solo try which Johnson converted.  Wilcox responded for Cinderford  on 49 minutes when a Fylde clearance kick was charged down and Wilcox was quickest to respond to the loose ball for a touch down and his side closed the  gap 21-17.

The next try was always going to prove vital and it was Johnson who caught out the Cinderford defence with a kick through to which Viney won the chase.Johnson added the extras before Cinderford once again hit back with their best try of the game which saw Wilcox  hit the line at pace from twenty metres out to score.  A victory was sensed and Sam Baker took advantage of  a huge overlap to cut back Fylde's lead  with four minutes to go.Wilcox coverted but Fyde had the last say with winger Warren Spragg intercepting a lose pass on halfway to sprint home and Johnson kicked his fifth conversion.

It was probably the fear of the predatory instincts of the Fylde wingers that led the Cinderford  coaches to tell Wilcox to spurn that last ditch chance of a win in favour of  a two point defeat.