Rugby league: Wath Brow 14 - 0 Mayfield

Photo: Ian Nield

Joe Taira set out his stall from the start with some power house drives and tackling to match

Two evenly matched sides battled out a hard-fought game in atrocious conditions at Wath Brow's Cleator Moor ground on Saturday (2 March) afternoon.

Mayfield were unlucky not to register the first score as they had a sustained spell of pressure in the Cumbrian's 20m zone. Big Joe Taira set out his stall from the start with some power house drives and tackling to match. Taira's efforts got Mayfield closest to the line but a failure to play the ball properly let the home side off the hook and they never looked back. Mayfield fell foul of this new ruling on numerous occasions and it cost them dearly, giving up both possession and position each time.

Both sides were guilty of not utilising possession in the first 15 minutes but both sides also showed great determination in defence. Brow scored after 15 minutes as their big winger found space out wide after a neat passage of play. The Brow kicker couldn't add the two.

Sean Slater at hooker did his best to spur his team on, this lad never stopped all afternoon. With Taira attracting two and three defenders every time he took the ball in, gaps were appearing but Mayfield just couldn't make the break. through.

Their frustration was compounded when after twenty minutes they lost Zac Baker with a leg injury. Baker was a big loss and Mayfield struggled to readjust. They then lost Taira for 10 minutes after a high shot and they paid the price as the gaps appeared. Within the next 10 minutes the home side had scored two further tries, one converted to make it 14 - 0, at half time.

Conditions worsened in the second half and Mayfield could have been forgiven if they'd gone under. But Mayfield do not do that and whatever coaches Sam Butterworth and Steve Wood said in the dressing rooms worked as they raised their game.

There was no way through though as the Brow defence held tight. The job was made even harder as they lost Lewis Sheridan after the heavy ground took its toll on his recently recovered knee. Then Taira got another 10 minutes in the sin bin after an infringement in the tackle.

The lads on the pitch did their utmost to get a score, which would have kick started a revival, but Brow were resolute in their defence.

Dakota Tolhurst, Ben Metcalfe and Gaz Ellison were immense and they were well backed by Corey Newsome, James McDaid and Trav Long. The man of the match went to Sean Slater for a non stop performance.