Kells 24 - 28 Rochdale Mayfield

Man-of-the-match Paul Brearley

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Mayfield made the long journey to West Cumbria with a depleted team featuring eight teenagers, but the young men followed man of the match Paul Brearley's lead and showed great maturity to win two valuable league points.

After a tight opening five minutes Brearley, back to his best form, worked hard to chase a goal kick and force a drop out. Mark Biggins and James Shaw drove into the heart of the defence, as they did throughout the game, and the two Zacs, Hartley and Baker in the halves, passed wide for Rhys Carruth to score on the left. Hartley converted.

The fast start stunned the hosts, and Mayfield continued with strong pressure in defence as they got the ball 50 metres out. Quick play-the-balls gave Brearley the room to push through the defence as he found Lewis Sheridan in support, who scooted in to score a Hartley converted try.

Kells manfully defended their line against a rampaging Seta Tala on a neat short ball, but Brearley took the next play and was too big and strong, jinking left and right to stretch over and score. Hartley missed the conversion.

Kells tried hard to hit back and the visitors rode their luck to survive a scare as Kells' best player, former professional Carl Sice, found space on Mayfield’s right. The hosts had found their strength with Sice on the right, and went the same way to score two tries in the next 10 minutes and make it 10-16 at half time.

Mayfield were playing well in attack, whilst showing the necessary desire and scramble in defence, but faced the wind and slope in the second half.

Kells were using the conditions perfectly to get a roll on, and wide passes again found Sice who scored.

Mayfield made four good tackles from the restart but last tackle offloads gave Kells space as they scored a try on the left.

Mayfield didn’t do much better in the next set as they again defended four tackles, but Tala conceded a penalty on the last and Kells took the two points and a 24-16 lead with 25 minutes remaining.

Mayfield defended stoutly in the next 10 minutes and strong line defence forced a Kells knock-on on the left.

Brearley again took the game by the scruff of the neck and in his own 20 passed wide left on the last to Declan Sheridan.

Sheridan raced uphill and as the cover closed in, but chipped infield for Brearley to regather and score from 40 metres out. Hartley converted and with just 15 minutes remaining, Mayfield had fought back to a 24 -22 score-line.

The unstoppable Brearley then moved into the halves, and greater possession saw him make another break on half way, but his inside pass to Lewis Sheridan was ruled forward. He made another break in front of the opposition posts, but the two on one pass was dropped.

With time running out Kells battled hard to close out the game, but Brearley made a miracle-like interception 60 metres out and raced to the line amid raucous cheers from the Mayfield players and fans, and disbelief from the Kells side. Lewis Ainsley goaled, and at 24-26 Mayfield were ahead again.

Mayfield endured a long nine minutes as Kells tried to snatch the game, but the visitors held on for the points, which they thoroughly deserved for their exciting play from the off.

Brearley, who scored three tries, was the stand out man-of-the-match.

Mayfield Team: Lewis Sheridan. Komai Namulatua. John Lau, Matty Ashton, Rhys Carruth. Zac Hartley, Zac Baker. Mark Biggins, Callum Ogden, James Shaw, Paul Brearley, Sean Watkins, Seta Tala. Declan Sheridan, Nick Hargreaves, Lewis Ainsley, Jack Rush.

• Mayfield travel to Featherstone Lions this Saturday in the semi-final of the Kingstone Press Cider Conference League Trophy and hopes are high for a final appearance in October. The club is running a supporters’ coach for the game and places can be booked at £5 each by contacting Simon on 07920 865 106.