Featherstone Lions 28 - 39 Rochdale Mayfield

Man-of-the-match Declan Sheridan

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The heart breaking news of the death of former Mayfield coach and player, Steve Gartland, was the backdrop to Saturday’s game against Featherstone Lions in the Conference Challenge Trophy. There was not a dry eye to be seen for the minute’s silence before the game.

The young Mayfield side, containing many players that owe much of their skills to Steve’s tuition, were too good for a spirited Featherstone Lions team, scoring seven tries in a 28-39 victory as they, the supporters and all associated with the club stepped up to provide a fitting tribute to a club legend. 

Mayfield started strongly, with forwards James Shaw and Callum Marriott driving hard at the line, whilst the halves Zac Hartley and Zac Baker passed slickly out wide.

Mayfield had the first chance to score after five minutes, but after pressuring the home try line, they had a try disallowed for a knock on over the line.

Featherstone tried to exit their half but the defensive line moved up quickly and the pressure saw Ashton, one of the centres, take an interception and race 30 metres to score. Chris Hough converted.

Hartley picked the ball up from the play the ball, ten metres out, and jumped right. A short pass found a charging Paul Brearley, who broke through and offloaded in the fullback’s tackle to the supporting Matt Calland to crash over. Hough converted.

The game evened out with Featherstone taking advantage of a strong wind at their backs to force some possession on the Mayfield line, but Rhys Carruth, Sean Watkins and Shaw defended strongly.

Penalties and errors forced Mayfield to defend three sets on their own line but they held firm and when Watkins regained possession, he drove hard into, and through, the defence to force a quick play the ball 40 metres out. Lewis Sheridan took advantage and scooted out of a dummy half through the defence towards the line. He was stopped just short by a trip as he bamboozled the fullback, but offloaded smartly to Komai Namulatua who dived in for a try, picking up a game ending ankle injury in the process. Hough missed the conversion.

Hartley, otherwise faultless all afternoon, dropped the ball in attack 20 metres out, and Liam Whalley conceded a penalty for questioning the referee. Featherstone hammered the line but met the brick wall of Mark Biggins, who forced another error.

Mayfield charged up field and in the next set, with Featherstone struggling to exit their own half, Tala charged down the kick and worked hard to regather the loose ball. Declan Sheridan received the ball wide on the left but was just forced into touch by the cover.

Tala saw yellow as, with Mayfield on a team warning for slowing the play the ball, he was deemed to have interfered and dispatched to the sin bin.

A man down with five minutes until half time, Mayfield had to defend stoutly and with a rallying call of ‘Garty’, as Marriott and Whalley stood tall and strong in defence.

With the whistle looming and a man down, Mayfield could have been forgiven for ‘closing up shop’ – but not this team. The visitors attacked with pace, as Brearley and Lewis Sheridan made breaks to get to the Featherstone 10 metre line. On the last, Carruth took a perfect Hartley cross field kick to the right to touch down unopposed. Hough missed the conversion.

Soon after the restart Hough picked up a neck injury and with the defence two men down, as Tala remained in the sin bin, Featherstone found an offload and a fresh tackle count, finding the winger in space on their left who scored an unconverted try.

Mayfield kicked deep and forced a drop out from the home side. Hartley slotted a drop goal.

Carruth took the restart and simply refused to give up, bouncing through the line to midfield. Lewis Sheridan chipped over and forced another drop out, then repeated the trick for Ashton to re-gather and score his second.

Mayfield were back to a full complement of players and flying in attack with a 10-27 lead, when Calland was harshly denied a try for a supposed forward pass off a Brearley flick pass.

This gave the home side hope and they scored as the full back skipped through some weak defence on the right and they scored a second from an offload on the floor, both too wide to be converted.

Mayfield  earned a scrum 20 metres out. Lewis Sheridan took the ball to the short side and found brother Declan, who finished well for a four pointer. Hartley scored a remarkable touchline goal. He repeated the feat for Declan Sheridan’s second try, again on the left touchline, when he jinked in through Featherstone’s desperate attempted tackles.

The scoreline, 28-39, was befitting of a hugely entertaining cup tie in which both sides gave their all.

As the final whistle blew, emotions of victory and loss poured out of the Mayfield players, staff and supporters. The hosts were gracious and sporting in defeat, acknowledging Mayfield’s bravery in playing the game under such circumstances.

Declan Sheridan was awarded the man-of-the-match plaudits, but was pushed close by all of the Mayfield team, who played on through their grief in honour of their friend, Steve Gartland.

In a club statement, Mayfield said: “All at Mayfield Rugby League would like to send our deepest condolences to the family of our friend and former coach and player, Steve Gartland, who passed away on Friday. Steve is a genuine Mayfield Legend and his passing will leave a deep hole in all of our lives.”

Mayfield Team: Lewis Sheridan. Rhys Carruth, Matt Calland, Matty Ashton, Komai Namulatua. Zac Baker, Zac Hartley. James Shaw, Chris Hough, Seta Tala, Sean Watkins, Callum Marriott, Paul Brearley. Nick Hargreaves, Declan Sheridan, Mark Biggins, Liam Whalley.

The final will be played on Saturday 8 October 2016, in the afternoon before the Super League Grand Final, at Manchester City’s Sport City Stadium.

Mayfield will be running supporters to coach to each game and places can be booked via Simon Howe on 07920 865106 or rochdalerugbyleague@live.co.uk