Rugby league: Lock Lane 16 - 34 Mayfield

Dakota Tolhurst was named man of the match after scoring a hat-trick of tries

Mayfield travelled to Castleford on Saturday (16 March) as a team under pressure. Injuries meant a further five players were unavailable for selection for what was an important game.

Butterworth and Wood drafted in players, including four more under 18s. This was a big ask for the young lads against a team who ran in 52 points in the same fixture last season.

Mayfield paid no heed to the situation as it was, they were here to play rugby and right from the start they took the game to their hosts. The forwards were outstanding once again with new boy Elijah Ponton once again showing what a great asset he is going to be a the season develops. He's not the biggest of forwards but he runs like a train and never stops tackling. The rest of the forwards took Ponton's lead and ran straight at the Lock Lane defence, Gaz Ellison, Dave Mills, Ben Metcalfe and Trav Long let the defenders know they were in for a tough game.

With 10 minutes gone Mayfield drew first blood as young James Duffy finished off a great passage of play, started by Dev Long, 0 - 4.

Lane soon hit back with a converted try after a bit of confusion in the Mayfield line, 6 - 4.

It was all Mayfield for the rest of the second half as they played some great rugby and showed that they were just going to be too much for the home team to handle. Dakota Tolhurst and then Dev Long crossed for tries, both out wide and both conversions were missed, 6 - 12.

Lock Lane then lost a player after the referee showed a red card for a head butt on Dave Mills. Mayfield lifted their game and upped the tempo and it soon became clear that they would dominate the rest of the game.

With only minutes gone in the second half Tolhurst went under the sticks for his second off a great pass from Connolly, who then slotted over the conversion, 6 - 18.

Tolhurst then completed his hat trick with a well crafted try out in the corner, the conversion was again missed, 6 - 22.

At this stage it looked like it could be a cricket score as Mayfield pummelled the defensive line. Only some resolute defence from Lane prevented this, but they couldn't stop them all and Dev Long bagged his second under the sticks, Connolly added the two, 6 - 28.

To their credit, and as expected at this level Lock Lane never stopped trying to get back in the game and they managed to cut the deficit with a try, 10 - 28 before Duffy rounded off Mayfield's scoring with his second, converted by Higgs, 10 - 34.

They then took their foot of the pedal and allowed Lane to score a soft, converted try to make the score look a bit more respectable, 16 - 34.

This was another good win for Mayfield but even with a depleted side Butterworth wasn't happy with the performance. He knows there is so much more to give and he also knows it won't be long before his side start showing how good they really are. The Long brothers once again were outstanding, as was man of the match Tolhurst, who weighed in with a hat-trick of tries. But the stars of the show really were the youngsters who stood up and showed what they are made of, never taking a backward step in defence and going forward at every opportunity.