Preston Grasshoppers 5th XV 42-6 Fylde 4th XV
Hoppers 5th’s travelled to Fylde to face their 4th team for the first time since the former dropped down a league. The opening 5 minutes produced a brisk passage of play with both sides exchanging penalties, Scott Davies converting for Hoppers.
A disappointing 10 minutes followed, with several lapses of concentration allowing Fylde to cross twice. Undeterred, Hopper’s pack put together a string of good moves straight from training and made progress up the pitch before a Fylde infringement gave Davies another 3 points. However, miscommunication from the restart gifted Fylde another 5 points.
The teams turned around at 27-6, but an honest team-talk prompted a much-improved second half performance from Hoppers. The first 20 minutes was open and fiercely contested with the front row of Mortimer, Colligan and Singleton putting significant pressure on at the scrum. This allowed greater space for Hopper’s backs, but notable runs from Alastair Worth and Davies unfortunately could not be converted into points.
In the final quarter, little headway was made by either side until Fylde took advantage of their strong bench and, despite Chris Nuttall’s constant presence at the breakdown, added two further tries before the final whistle.
It was a spirited and brave performance from Hopper’s 5ths against a strong Fylde side and Captain Mick Mortimer remained positive: “a 150% improvement in the squad, happy captain and coach.”
Final Score 42-6
Man of the match: Chris Nuttall
DoD: Scott Davies
