Rugby league: Mayfield 44 - 22 Leigh Miners

Mayfield got back to winning ways against Leigh Miners on Saturday 8 July. This was a welcome win against a decent side. It was a good performance but by no means up to the standard that the side has shown this season.

The first 25 minutes showed two evenly matched sides both playing some uninspiring rugby, Mayfield broke the deadlock with a try from Seta Tala after ten minutes, converted by Parr, 6 - 0.

They kept plugging away at the Miners line with strong drives from Joe Taira, Ben Metcalfe and Dakota Tolhurst but the defence was good and there was no way through. Miners grabbed a try back after 20 minutes as Mayfield failed to deal with a nothing kick through, 6 - 4.

Dec Sheridan entered the fray and immediately gave his side an edge. Sheridan began finding the gaps and his players responded backing him up from acting half. Miners defence scrambled well and it took a great break from the impressive Metcalfe to put Mayfield further in front as he scored out wide, 10 - 4.

Sheridan and Sam Wright began to take control of the game and Mayfield upped the pace in response, with Nick Hargreaves and Callum Ogden showing their teammates the way forward. Quick play caught out the visiting defence and Wright stepped though a gap and released the supporting Jordan Parr who coasted in under the posts then added the conversion, 16 - 4.

Taira's powerful running was attracting some high shots as the Miners defence tried to contain him and Mayfield accepted the easy yards from the ensuing penalties. With half time approaching, Ogden backed up a great Devlin Long break and made it look easy as he extended his side's lead. The conversion was a formality for Parr, 22 - 4.

A comedy of errors from the restart saw Mayfield give up possession and it wasn't long before the big Miners second row had cut the deficit with a converted try, 22 - 10.

Mayfield hit straight back with great drives from Hargreaves and Metcalfe before Wright showed a touch of class with a neat little instinctive kick into the hands of Long, who in turn kicked through for Kristian McVeigh who won the race for the ball, Parr again added the two, half time score 28 - 10.

A couple of minutes later, a strong tackle from Dec Sheridan and Callum Ogden dislodged the ball and gave Mayfield early possession. Quick play saw them on the attack and when the Miners full back failed to deal with a simple kick, Sam Wright pounced for a try out of nothing, Parr added the conversion, 34 - 10.

Mayfield then went to sleep as they let the opposition back into the game, and a series of four penalties in five minutes gifted Miners a converted try, 34 - 16.

Mayfield were unlucky not to get another try as a brilliant break from Parr came to nothing but they showed they were back on it. Both sides were playing some good rugby now, and a penalty from Mayfield under their own sticks kept Miners in with a glimmer of hope as they scored another converted try, 34 - 22.

Mayfield should have had this game well and truly sewn up by now but they had repeatedly let the visitors back in it. This was a critical stage of the game, with the next score being all important, it nearly went Miners way and only a scrambling defence from Corey Newsham, Taira and Parr kept them out. If Miners had scored it would have been a very interesting last ten minutes for Mayfield and a very stressful last ten minutes for the supporters. Miners tried being very physical in their defence and they lost some of their concentration and Luke Fowden capitalised as he crashed through for a try, converted by Parr, 40 - 22.

With the clock running down Sean Penkywicz threw a great pass out wide and the ball was moved to Wayne English who showed great pace from a yard and a half out as he went in in the corner, if this lad turns out to be half as good as his wife Nina he'll be a good un. 44 - 22.

This looks a comprehensive win on paper but the fact is with ten minutes to go if Miners had scored Mayfield were under all sorts of pressure, but they didn't and a win is a win. Mayfield probably played to 75% of their capabilities and still ran out comfortable winners in the end. There has been a lot of disruption over the last few weeks with injuries, but they are now getting it back together.