Hull Dockers 4 - 14 Mayfield

Joe Quanici and Mark Biggins - Hull Dockers 4 - 14 Mayfield

Mayfield travelled to Hull as underdogs last Saturday but confounded the NCL tipsters with a 10 point victory.

Mayfield bossed their opponents from start to finish and never looked like losing.

It was a tight first ten minutes with both sides giving their all in dreadful conditions, the driving rain meant that ball security was difficult and their was plenty of lost possession from both sides.

Mayfield adapted better than their hosts and the forwards gradually took control of the game with the outstanding Mark Biggins leading the way, he was ably backed up by Joe Quanici and the returning Ryan Bradbury who both had outstanding games.

It wasn't all forwards though with Sam Butterworth and Paul Brearley showing that they are rapidly becoming one of the best half back pairings in the league. Their probing and prompting was a positive feature of the game.

It took 12 minutes before the first score after Biggins and Matty Moores had found good field position for their side. Lewis Sheridan popped up from full back with a kick through on the last, he outpaced the defenders to hack on again only for Dave Woods to step in with a kick of his own. He proved too strong for his opposite number as he won the race, doing well to ground the ball. Lewis Sheridan converted.

Both teams got bogged down as the rain and wind increased, ruling out the flowing game Mayfield like to play.

Dockers pulled a score back before half time as their centre went through two would be tacklers to score in the corner.

Like most of Mayfield's games this season this was an end-to-end game but unlike their other games their defence held firm, and the home side never looked like scoring again as they were repelled by a blue and white wall, led all the way by Biggins, Quanici and Matty Moores. Top tacklers in the back line were Liam Whalley, playing at centre for the first time this season, Dave Wood and Seta Tala.

Mayfield extended their lead with a Lewis Sheridan penalty.

Mayfield ground away at Dockers but couldn't find a way though to get that vital score to seal the game, until the introduction of Declan Sheridan. With just four minutes remaining he took the ball from acting half, feinted right, went left and dived over for the decisive score. His brother Lewis converted.

This was a fantastic victory on the road for the Rochdale side and will certainly make the rest of the division take notice in the weeks to come.

The pack was head and shoulders above the opposition, the best they've been this season, led by Todd O'Brien at hooker and his replacement Dec Sheridan. The backs too more than played their part in the victory playing controlled rugby in terrible conditions.

The Mayfield coaches and supporters Man-of-the-Match was a unanimous vote for Mark Biggins whilst the opposition opted for Lewis Sheridan, whose calm play under the high ball took the danger out of several situations.

A Mayfield spokesman said: "The players and committee would like to thank the supporters who made the long journey and who out enthused the home support for long periods. With special mention to Chris Rowley who cycled from Rochdale to Hull for the game."