Halton Hornets 38 – 12 Mayfield

Mayfield’s NWML side made the trip to Widnes with just thirteen players but the thirteen who made the trip gave their all but lost an entertaining game.

Halton are a big side and played some good rugby but Mayfield defended brilliantly for the first twenty minutes not giving an inch and frustrating the home side as they snuffed out wave after wave of their attack.

Nick Hargreaves and young debutante Jordan strand, the third generation of his family to play for the club, were magnificent with text book tackling.

Mayfield were unlucky not to get on the score sheet after breaks from Andy Taylor and Callum Harmer.

The lack of fresh legs was the telling factor as the Mayfield side began to tire with old heads Dave Harmer and Craig White feeling the pace.

Halton raised their game and Mayfield struggled to keep up as Halton ran in four unanswered tries before half time.

Player coach Harmer rallied the Mayfield troops at half time and they tried to respond from the kick off and were unlucky not to be rewarded as new signings Ollie Coleman and Ross Murphy found their feet and take the game to Halton. However, repeat penalties allowed the home side back in the Mayfield ten metre zone and they capitalised on this as they scored again.

Mayfield's Curly Kershaw was having a storming game in defence and he was stopped just short of the line as he tried to dive over from acting half.

Mayfield then developed some self-belief and started to play rugby; they reaped the benefits of this as Marsland scored two tries, one a 60 metre interception, he converted both.

They couldn’t sustain this and the game finished with Halton scoring two before the end making the final score 38 – 12.

Man-of-the-Match award went to Nick Hargreaves but he was pushed all the way by Andy Taylor.

Team: Ross Murphy, Andy Taylor, Nick Hargreaves, Ollie Coleman, Adam Murtza, Craig White, John Marsland, Dave Harmer, Curly Kershaw, Anthony Bamford, Callum Harmer, George Yewdale, Jordan Strand.