Preston Grasshoppers vs. Tynedale, 2nd March 2019, 2.30pm
It’s a case of ‘In Form Hoppers’versus ‘In Form Tynedale’for what promises to be a cracking encounter between two mid table sides. Like ourselves this week’s visitors to Lightfoot Green have won each of their last three matches.
Hoppers will certainly be up for this particular game having lost at Corbridge earlier in the season in a game they should have won ending in somewhat contraversial circumstances with the visitors camped on the Tynedale line looking for a winning score.
Victory this Saturday over Tynedale will move Hoppers up the table from the ninth place they’ve been rooted to for a number of weeks now.
Last weeks comprehensive victory over a seemingly doomed Macclesfield was Hoppers biggest score of the season, their third victory on the road and second double so far. It also turned up the unusual event of three of their seven tries being scored by players off the bench. The game saw Alex Jobson make his debut, Tyler Sloane’s first start and Nathan Pope score his first try in a Hoppers 1stXV shirt.
Tynedale first gained promotion to Level 4 in what was then National 3 North during the same season Hoppers were demoted from National 2 back in 2002 and this weeks visitors can boast a formidable record over their Lancashire rivals especially in league encounters.
The first meeting between Preston Grasshoppers and Tynedale was at Corbridge on the 9thof February 1980 after a fixture the previous season at Lightfoot Green had been cancelled. The victors that day were the home side by twelve points to three.
All told there have been twenty seven meetings between the two clubs plus a warm up game at Lightfoot Green prior to the 2012/13 season, with a further five fixtures being cancelled including the proposed initial game. Currently Tynedale hold the upper hand with seventeen wins to Hoppers ten. Amongst these there are eleven league wins to our opponents and just four to Hoppers with the spoils of the pre-season game going to Hoppers.
Preston Grasshoppers next game after playing Tynedale will be a journey to pastures new when they play Peterborough Lions for the first time at their Solstice Park ground. The 1869 Club are hoping to make the long journey and run a coach for Hoppers supporters which will include the usual lunch stop. The departure time is 9am and with the journey being over a long distance the fare for this particular trip will be £25pp. There’s a poster for your names on the Notice Board so please get your names down in good time to support both team and 1869 Club.
Team News
1. Ryan PURCELL
2. PJ MILLEA (C)
3. Peter ALTHAM
4. Adam HOWARD
5. Ally MURRAY
6. Ryan CARLSON
7. Teddy LEATHERBARROW
8. Matt LAMPREY
9. James GOUGH
10. Thomas DAVIDSON
11. Matt CROW
12. James FITZPATRICK
13. Alex HURST
14. Tyler SPENCE
15. Nathan POPE
16. Oli TRIPPIER
17. Noah MILLER
18. Luke PROCTER
19. Sam STOTT
20. Scott JORDAN
