Leigh Miners 30 - 26 Mayfield

Mayfield finished their season in fine style at Twist Lane on Saturday. Although losing out to a very good Miners side Mayfield gave it their all and were desperately unlucky not to come away as victors.

This game had everything and was a superb spectacle with both teams playing some outstanding rugby league.

In the end the teams shared five tries apiece with Miners edging it on goal kicking and an additional penalty conversion.

Mayfield stated their intention right from the start with GB international Aidan Gleeson breaking thirty metres down field through the Miners pack only to be stopped by a brilliant tackle. The recent improvement in defence showed early on as Callum Marriott Liam Whalley and Dave Wood repeatedly put in the big hits to repel the Miners forward runners.

Pinned in their own twenty and under pressure Miners attempted to move the ball wide but wily old warhorse Matt Calland spotted the danger and read the play stepping in to intercept the pass and open the scoring for his side. Sam Butterworth added the extras from the touchline.

The Mayfield supporters showed their appreciation the only way they know how, loudly.

Miners attempted to hit back but were repelled by the defence with Wood again, Rob Kershaw and Eric Johnson all working hard.

It took a perfectly timed defence splitting pass from the MIners hooker to put the standoff through the gap for a great try.

From the restart Butterworth lofted a high short kick for Paul Brearley who managed to outreach the receivers and flick the ball wide to Lewis Sheridan, who went thirty metres to touch down in the corner and restore the Mayfield lead. Butterworth again stepped up with the conversion.

Mayfield upped the tempo and Miners just couldn't live with them.

The ball passed through five pairs of hands for the next Mayfield try, from Todd O'Brien on one side of the pitch to Dec Sheridan on the other and he squeezed in at the corner.

Mayfield were unlucky not to increase the lead further as Quanuici just failed to ground the ball under the posts.

It had been all Mayfield up to this point but Miners began to get the decisions and Mayfield did themselves no favours, giving the referee plenty of opportunities to dish out energy sapping penalties.

A shoulder charge from Johnson was punished with a ten minute spell in the sin bin and this was the catalyst for Miners, they immediately upped their game and their scrum half took hold of the proceedings, exploiting the gaps created by Johnson’s absence.

In the five minutes before half time they had scored two tries and taken the lead 18 - 16, a lead they were never to relinquish.

The first fifteen of the second half saw both sides testing each other out and both were unlucky not to score, but the defences were outstanding with neither side taking a backward step and every player putting his body on the line for his team mates.

Miners finally broke the deadlock with a superbly crafted score in the corner to push further ahead.

Another penalty against Mayfield for an off the ball tackle and Miners opted for the two points.

Matt Calland responded by re-introducing Gleeson to the fray and he had an immediate impact crashing tackles and making yards as he drew defenders to him.

Mayfield were next to accept gratefully the advantage as Miners were penalised for an incorrect play the ball. Gleeson and Quanici were again involved and Todd O'Brien fed Johnson who managed to go over to narrow the deficit once more.

Twelve minutes to go and the next score was always going to be crucial, unfortunately for Mayfield it went Miners' way as Mayfield failed to deal with a kick on the last tackle and the home stand off strolled through to touch down.

Mayfield tried their best to stage a comeback and battered away at what was now a rock solid defensive line; Quanici, Whalley, Gleeson and Callum Marriott gave it everything and when Mayfield objected to a perceived swinging Miners arm in the tackle, an unsightly brawl erupted with almost every player involved.

The referee sin binned one from each side but red carded Quanici. Big Joe couldn't really argue with the decision but took exception to the fact that he was singled out in the melee with no Miners player seeing the red card, baffling to say the least.

The adrenaline was flowing now and with four minutes left Mayfield gave it all they had left and when the irrepressible Dec Sheridan went in the corner it gave his side a final glimmer of hope but it was not to be.

This was one of the games of the season it was just a shame it went the wrong way for Mayfield after a superb start. On reflection, if asked at the beginning of the season would they have settled for a third place finish and a semi-final against Leigh Miners, most people would have taken that but Calland's men left the field thinking they hadn't done themselves justice and had let their opponents off the hook, but that's sport, with a bit of luck this game could easily have gone the other way.

The Mayfield side should hold their heads up high and be proud of what they have achieved this season.

On the coach on the way home, reflecting on the season, Mayfield legend Pete Standring said: “This is possibly the best Mayfield side I have ever seen”, high praise indeed from one of the Mayfield great players.

Supporters are reminded there are only a handful of tickets left for the presentation evening on Friday 13 November please contact the club or any committee member.